The impacts of services quality and marketing mix on visitor satisfaction in Southern Thailand moderated by gastronomy experience

In recent years, gastronomy tourism has gained increasing importance in the tourism sector, particularly in Southern Thailand. However, existing studies have given limited attention to the relationships among food service quality, the marketing mix, and visitor satisfaction, especially within the context of gastronomy experiences. Accordingly, this study aims to (1) examine the impact of food service quality on visitor satisfaction, (2) assess the influence of the marketing mix on visitor satisfaction, (3) determine whether gastronomy experience moderates the relationship between food service quality and visitor satisfaction, and (4) determine whether gastronomy experience moderates the relationship between the marketing mix and visitor satisfaction. This study is grounded in Social Exchange Theory (SET) and Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT), which provide a theoretical foundation for explaining visitors’ evaluations and satisfaction in gastronomy tourism contexts. A quantitative research approach was employed, and data were collected from international visitors in Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, and Surat Thani using a stratified sampling approach. A total of 387 valid questionnaires were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results show that reliability has a positive and significant effect on visitor satisfaction. The product dimension of the marketing mix also has a positive and significant effect on visitor satisfaction. Gastronomy experience does not significantly moderate the relationship between the marketing mix and visitor satisfaction, but shows a significant negative moderating effect on the relationship between food service quality and visitor satisfaction. These findings suggest that reliability plays a more prominent role in influencing visitor satisfaction, while the moderating role of gastronomy experience is inconsistent, with a negative effect observed in the relationship between food service quality and visitor satisfaction. This indicates that gastronomy experience may function more as a direct experiential factor rather than a consistent moderator. This extends the application of SET and EDT in gastronomy tourism and provides practical insights for tourism stakeholders to emphasise consistent service delivery