Multi-dimensional scale to measure destination food image: case of Korean food

Purpose – Given the increasing importance of food in tourist activities and destination choice, the purpose of this paper is to reveal a comprehensive measurement scale to evaluate the image of destination food, adopting procedures recommended by previous studies. Design/methodology/approach – The procedure in this study followed two steps: first, item generation including literature review and focus groups; and second, scale purification. Scale purification included exploratory factor analysis to derive an initial factor structure and reliability assessment and confirmatory factor analysis to test the theoretical factor structure and assess validity. Findings – The scale development procedure yielded five dimensions of destination food image: “food safety and quality,” “attractiveness of food,” “health benefits of food,” “food culture,” and “unique culinary arts.” Research limitations/implications – This study contributes to the food-related tourism literature by measuring destination food image based on scale development processes using both cognitive and affective elements. Practical implications – The results help practitioners understand the complex dimensions of destination food image and how destination marketing professionals can use this image to advertise a destination. Originality/value – This study has value in measuring destination food image through scale development processes and integrating both cognitive evaluations and affective evaluations.