Diversifying Cultural Tourism Through a Market-Driven Lens: Culinary Motivation, Experience, and Satisfaction in Huế City, Vietnam

This chapter examines the interrelationships between culinary motivation, culinary experience, and satisfaction, and explores the typology of culinary tourists. Data were collected from a sample of 253 adult domestic tourists who traveled independently and experienced typical dishes of Huế cuisine during their visits. Using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method to analyze the data, the study reveals that culinary motivation positively influences tourists’ culinary experience, which in turn enhances their satisfaction. Furthermore, culinary experience is found to be a significant mediator in transforming motivation into satisfaction. A more detailed examination shows that motivation significantly affects all four dimensions of culinary experience. Moreover, the results indicate that esthetic and entertainment experiences not only strengthen tourist satisfaction but also contribute to differentiating segments of culinary tourists. Cluster analysis identified two distinct segments: tourists with highly positive experiences and strong satisfaction with Huế cuisine, and those reporting lower satisfaction and less favorable experiences. Drawing on these findings, the chapter proposes practical implications for destination managers and culinary businesses to diversify cultural tourism offerings. Key implications focus on enhancing the esthetic and entertainment aspects of culinary experiences, while also strengthening personalization and segment-based product development.