Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GASTRONOMY AND FOOD SCIENCE, cilt.43, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Although previous studies have examined the slow food experience, its effects on well-being and word-of-mouth behaviour remain limited. Understanding these effects is important, as slow food experiences may foster different dimensions of well-being and influence tourists' willingness to share their experiences, with implications for individual satisfaction and destination culinary promotion. Addressing this gap, this study investigates the relationships between slow food experience, word-of-mouth, food neophilia, and both eudaimonic and hedonic well-being. The study is based on quantitative data collected from 234 participants visiting various slow cities in Turkey. The data were analyzed using SmartPLS 4, and direct, mediation, and moderation analyses were conducted. The results indicate that slow food experience significantly enhances eudaimonic well-being and wordof-mouth, while its effect on hedonic well-being is not significant. This finding may be explained by the lowarousal nature of slow city environments. Unlike festival-based or entertainment-oriented food experiences, slow food experiences emphasize authenticity, which may limit hedonic responses associated with high-arousal positive emotions. Furthermore, neither hedonic nor eudaimonic well-being significantly influenced word-ofmouth, and no mediation effects were observed. This may reflect the inward-oriented and reflective nature of the slow food experience, which enhances personal meaning rather than encouraging immediate communicative behaviour. Finally, food neophilia was found to negatively moderate the relationship between slow food experience and both types of well-being. This may be because individuals high in food neophilia seek novelty that does not fully align with the tranquil and traditional character of slow food experiences, thereby weakening their impact on well-being.