08.06.2023 - Participating in the Ege University IV. International Gastronomy, Tourism and Cultural Studies Symposium.

Geographical Indication (GI) Products’ role in sustainable attitude: How does Geographical Indication awareness promote Gen Z’s purchasing behavior

Çağla Çavuşoğlu McKenzie and Caner Ünal

Abstract: Products with “geographic indications” (GIs) are gaining popularity in rural tourist destinations. To date, however, quantitative empirical studies are still rare in the existing literature, in contrast to the extensive coverage of qualitative studies of GIs. The findings of this study, therefore, shed light on the gap in the rural tourism literature and may help identify issues that need to be addressed to develop local and sustainable tourism strategies more efficiently with the help of GIs in rural areas. This research investigates how Gen Z’s GIs awareness affect the consumption intentions and shape their sustainable attitudes through their purchasing behaviour. Given that the future of the tourism industry is defined by the next generation's tourism-related experiences, it is essential to understand their culture and tourism-oriented attitudes and behaviours. Bearing these in mind, the samples in this study were undergraduates majoring in tourism management, and gastronomy and culinary arts. Purposive sampling was conducted, and data were analysed utilising Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). From a total of 400 surveys distributed, 300 valid replies were obtained, yielding a total response rate of 75%. Results, from a SEM, indicated that Gen Z's awareness of GIs was positively related to their consumption intention, which positively affected Gen Z's sustainable attitudes through their purchasing behaviour. This paper claims two significant contributions: (1)Incorporating GIs into the rural tourism literature from Gen Z’s perpectives. (2)Revealing practical and valuable insights for the academics specialising in the hospitality and tourism discipline as well as for the rural tourism development strategists.

Keywords: Products with geographical indications, awareness, sustainable attitude, consumption intention, purchasing behaviour