Determinants of Domestic Tourists’ Intention to Consume Street Food: An Extended Theory of Planned Behavior Approach in Hanoi

Abstract

Street food constitutes a distinctive component of urban tourism, offering cultural, experiential, and practical value while simultaneously raising concerns related to food safety and hygiene. Despite growing academic interest in street food consumption, existing research has predominantly focused on international tourists, leaving the behavioral mechanisms of domestic tourists underexplored. This study aims to examine the determinants of domestic tourists’ intention to consume street food by applying an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in the context of Hanoi, Vietnam. A quantitative survey was conducted with 328 domestic tourists who had experienced street food during their visits to Hanoi. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results confirm that the core TPB constructs—attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control—significantly influence street food consumption intention. In addition, contextual factors play a critical role: food safety perception strongly shapes both attitude and perceived behavioral control, while trust in vendors and convenience enhance perceived behavioral control. Street food experience positively influences attitude, albeit to a lesser extent. The findings demonstrate that domestic tourists’ street food consumption intention is jointly determined by psychological evaluations and situational conditions. This study extends the TPB by integrating context-specific variables relevant to informal food consumption and contributes empirical evidence from an urban destination in an emerging economy. The results offer practical implications for managing street food as a tourism asset while addressing safety, trust, and accessibility concerns.