Predicting tourist diners' Setswana cuisine consumption behaviour in Gaborone, Botswana: an application of the Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour

Abstract

This study investigated the importance of the Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour in predicting tourist diners’ local cuisine consumption behaviour in Gaborone. A semi-structured selfadministered questionnaire was distributed to a purposive sample of 249 diners at 47 restaurant facilities in Gaborone. Using correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression, the study identified three main factors: ‘arousal’, an ‘open culture’ and ‘social others’, that explained at least 34% of the variance in consumption behaviour in Gaborone and specifically amongst Batswana, who were the majority of diners. From these findings, it can be concluded that ‘social others’ like family and friends, and an open receptive culture; being some of the common characteristics of Batswana, are essential in understanding cuisine tourism development in Botswana.

Keywords

• Local cuisine
• consumption behaviour
• cuisine tourism
• Gaborone