The relationship between experiential marketing and tourists' satisfaction on Kelantan food

Known as a Cradle of Malay Culture, Kelantan is famous for its distinctive cultural heritage, natural environments, and unparalleled hospitality of the locals including their unique foods which have influenced the development of the tourism industry. In relation to that, Kelantan Tourism Malaysia together with the help of corporate organizations aggressively promotes Kelantan food products locally and internationally. However, it raises critical questions of how tourists perceived Kelantan food during their visits. Thus, this study was to offer an approach of understanding the relationship between experiential marketing and tourists' satisfaction on Kelantan food. A total of two hundred and eight (208) international tourists around Kota Bharu, Pengkalan Chepa and Kubang Kerian area had participated in this study. Data were gathered through self-administered survey questionnaires and the results of the five dimensions of experiential marketing namely sense, feel, think, act and relate recorded a significant relationship with the tourists' satisfaction (R-2 = 0.761, beta = 0.872) at significant level p < 0.001. Implication and recommendations for future research are also provided.