علی حسینی

Postmodern tourism is gradually shifting away from mass tourism toward more personalized, experience-based, and interest-driven forms of travel. In response to this trend, many destinations are increasingly emphasizing local cuisine and developing culinary tourism as one of the most dynamic and creative sectors of the tourism industry. However, the successful development of culinary tourism is not possible without a clear understanding of culinary tourists’ behavior. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to explain the behavior of product-oriented culinary tourists, the most specialized segment of culinary tourism, by developing a behavioral model using a mixed-method approach. In the qualitative phase, a meta-synthesis method was applied, while the quantitative phase employed structural equation modeling (SEM) using SmartPLS 4 to identify key dimensions, components, and indicators, as well as to examine the relationships among them. The sample size was determined using the Cochran formula and consisted of 285 participants, who were randomly selected from saffron culinary tourists visiting the Qaenat region. The findings indicate that tourists’ motivation, destination image, and perceived service quality have direct effects on satisfaction and indirect effects on behavioral intentions. Notably, perceived service quality also shows a direct and significant influence on behavioral intentions. Furthermore, the results highlight several key destination characteristics that strongly influence the quality of culinary tourism tours. These include cultural and culinary involvement, accommodation quality, farm-based experiences, food and beverage quality, reliable service delivery, a sense of safety and tranquillity, effective tour organization, and the quality of tour guide services .