This study aims to examine young tourists’ preferences in purchasing food from ethnic restaurants, with their unique characteristics. It incorporates ethnic restaurant servicescape and physical evidence to better understand how young tourists, who have become an ever-growing market, shape their postexperience behavior in ethnic restaurants.
In the first stage, the data were collected based on 30 days of observations of around 150 young tourists. In the second stage, this study uses a quantitative approach by surveying an additional 150 young tourists in Indonesia. The data from the survey were analyzed using partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling with the SmartPLS software to determine the effects of servicescape and place attachment on the experience of ethnic food consumption.
The results show that the servicescape and physical evidence of ethnic restaurants significantly relate to postexperience behavior. Substantive and communicative servicescape affected authenticity and exoticism in choosing an ethnic restaurant. Respondents experienced place attachment as part of their postexperience behavior with different cultures.
Good food alone is not enough; business owners of ethnic restaurants need to offer comfort zones that enable social interaction and photographic spots for young tourists. Staff appearance and knowledge on the cultural story or history behind the food is also crucial to make young tourists feel attached to the restaurants and more excited to share the stories to other people. This would also offer a possible marketing strategy for ethnic restaurants in designing a competitive advantage to survive in this digital era.
There has been very little research on how young tourists as a new big market in the tourism industry evaluate their experience in ethnic restaurants. This study offers a new perspective from young tourists with different cultural backgrounds. It highlights the importance of surrounding dining areas that make young tourists feel attached to an ethnic restaurant and willing to share their post experience to their social circle.
