Journal of Culinary Science and Technology, 2025 (ESCI)
The paper addresses the culinary delights of Serbian food festivals and their significance in attracting tourists seeking authentic food experiences. The study focuses on examining gastronomic experiences (sensory, service, environmental, entertainment, and memorable dimensions) and tourist attitudes at Serbian food festivals, utilizing a quantitative research design based on an online survey. The survey instrument encompasses measures to understand gastronomic experience, subjective well-being, satisfaction, tourist attitude, and behavioral intentions within a single framework. The results indicate that subjective well-being, behavioral intentions and tourist satisfaction are influenced by gastronomic experience and tourist attitude. The study offers empirical evidence relevant to event management and tourism marketing, highlighting the importance of designing food festivals that enhance visitor experiences and foster positive attitudes. By replacing promotional narratives with a focus on key variables and analytical outcomes, this research contributes to the academic understanding of the mechanisms driving tourist satisfaction and behavior in gastronomic tourism contexts.