Bread Business Development Strategy in Increasing Sales at Al Mumtaz Bread (Rotaz)

Sweet bread producers can be found easily to fulfill the wishes of consumers who want sweet bread to be present in their daily life. The large number of sweet bread producers makes business competition increasingly fierce, so that the selection of the right strategy is needed to increase sales. This study aims to identify and describe the business strategy that must be carried out by the Rotaz business so that the business can develop and increase sales. The research was conducted at the Rotaz business owned by the Islamic Boarding School (BUMPES), Al Mumtaz Islamic Boarding School. The data sources were primary data and secondary data. Respondents to the questionnaire are management who are relatively understanding and interested in choosing Rotaz's marketing strategy and consumers who choose it by purposive sampling. The data analysis technique is the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The AHP stage is carried out by the steps of compiling a hierarchy and determining the priority of criteria with the stages of synthesizing, measuring consistency, calculating consistency index (CI), and calculating consistency ratio (CR). Based on the research results, it is known that from four criteria and three alternatives that have been determined, the best recommendation for Rotaz business development is to increase concentration on consumer behavior, followed by marketing and the lowest is advertising. data primer dan data sekunder. Responden kuesioner merupakan pihak manajemen yang relatif memahami dan berkepentingan dengan pemilihan strategi pemasaran Rotaz dan konsumen yang pilih secara purposive sampling. Teknik analisis data yaitu dengan Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Tahapan AHP dilakukan dengan langkah-langkah menyusun hirarki dan penentuan prioritas kriteria dengan tahapan mensintesis, mengukur konsistensi, menghitung consistency index (CI), dan menghitung consistency ratio (CR). Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, diketahui dari empat kriteria dan tiga alternatif yang telah ditetapkan, menghasilkan rekomendasi terbaik untuk pengembangan usaha Rotaz adalah dengan meningkatkan konsentrasi pada perilaku konsumen, kemudian disusul dengan pemasaran dan yang terendah adalah iklan.

The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic globally impacted
Indonesia and caused a decline in economic activity. The decrease in the intensity of economic activity resulted in a cumulative contraction of Indonesia's economic growth by 2.07 percent in 2020 (Rafei, 2021). While improving the economy, the manufacturing sector, especially the food and beverage industry, is believed to maintain its expansion. The growth of the food and beverage industry has proven to be stable during the pandemic period (April 2020-April 2021) because it is one of the efforts to increase the immune system in anticipation of facing the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, the improvement in the manufacturing sector's performance was also motivated by the increasing public demand in line with the easing of social restrictions and the ongoing vaccination process (Adhiem, 2021).
The food industry produced in Indonesia consists of several types, including ready-to-eat food, spices, and other food ingredients. The ready-to-eat food category comprises several products such as plain bread, sweet bread, pastries, cakes, fried foods, porridge, snacks, rice cake, mixed rice, fried rice, gado-gado, and others. Based on the results of the expenditure census for the consumption of the Indonesian population (2021), it is known that the average expenditure of the Indonesian people is mostly used to buy deep-fried foods, cakes, and sweetbreads.
On average, urban people consume 1,048 slices of sweet bread with a value of Rp. 2,060.00 per capita per week. It concludes that sweet bread has a fairly large market share (Supriyanto, 2021).
Sweetbread can be easily found in Indonesia, including in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY). One of the sweet bread products found in DIY is Roti Mumtaz (Rotaz). Rotaz is one of the business units owned by the Islamic Boarding School-owned Enterprise (BUMPES), Al Mumtaz Islamic Boarding School, located in the Kerjan Village, Patuk District, Gunungkidul Regency, DIY. The concept developed in making Rotaz is unique, involving students' creativity in the manufacturing process. Al Mumtaz Islamic Boarding School teaches religious knowledge to its students and is equipped with entrepreneurial skills from producing to marketing products.
All levels of society have started to put interest in bread so that the bread industry business opportunities are more promising. This situation makes the scale of businesses in the bread business diverse, ranging from small, medium, and large industries (Cahyawati, 2020). The increase of bread existence causes sellers to suffer losses because they cannot compete with other sellers with the same products.
Sellers who can win the hearts of buyers are sellers who plan marketing activities carefully and use good marketing principles (Afridhal, 2017). Marketing activities are a successful function and expected goal achievement concerning the product, price, promotion, and distribution policies (Rusdi, 2019).
The growing development of similar businesses that also target the same segmentation for all circles of society is a challenge for Rotaz owners to survive and develop. Rotaz owners need to consider the right strategy amid increasingly fierce competition based on this background. The first challenge faced by frms that enter the market is fnding a way to survive in that market (Islami et al., 2020). For this reason, this study aims to identify and describe the business strategies that must be carried out by Rotaz's business so that the business can develop and increase sales. Research on Rotaz's business has not been done much, so this research needs to be done so that the research results can be input for Rotaz business owners to develop their products.

This research was conducted at the Rotaz business owned by the Islamic
Boarding School (BUMPES), Al Mumtaz Islamic Boarding School where the research location was chosen deliberately. The research was conducted for 3 months, from November 2021 to January 2022. Sources of data are primary data and secondary data. Primary data was collected from the results of observations and also asked questions using a questionnaire tool to the selected respondents.
Respondents to the questionnaire are the management who relatively understand and have an interest in the selection of Rotaz's marketing strategy as many as four people and consumers who choose by purposive sampling as many as three people.The questionnaire tool is a data collection technique by providing answers to written statements to respondents (Sugiyono, 2014). Moreover, secondary data was collected from literature studies sourced from journals, scientific books, and the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) publications.
The data analysis technique is the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). AHP is a decision support model developed by Thomas L. Saaty, and this decision support model will describe complex multi-factor or multi-criteria problems into a hierarchy (Supriadi et al., 2018). According to Solikah (2019), the AHP stage was conducted by steps in arranging a hierarchy and determining the criteria priority with the stages of synthesizing, measuring consistency, calculating consistency index (CI), and calculating consistency ratio (CR). Before arranging a hierarchy of problems encountered, the first is defining the problem and determining the expected solution. The first step is making a pairwise comparison to determine the priority of elements, which compares elements in pairs according to the given criteria.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Establishing a hierarchy in determining Rotaz's business development strategy to increase sales, there are four criteria and three alternatives. The selection of alternative solutions that are considered the most suitable is done using AHP. By using AHP, it allows researchers to make effective decisions on the problems being analyzed (Sumiyati, Lilik Sutiarso, I Wayan Windia, 2012).
The first level is the goal, which is choosing the priority of Rotaz's business development strategy to increase sales. First, determine the goal or objectives, namely choosing the priority of Rotaz's business development strategy. Furthermore, at the second level there are criteria that influence the development of Rotaz's business, including product, price, promotion, and place (marketing mix).
At the third level is an alternative or development strategy that should be chosen in determining Rotaz's business development strategy to increase sales.
This study uses criteria selection based on the marketing mix strategy because the marketing mix is one of the most potential strategic elements in marketing a product. According to Rahim & Mohamad (2021), marketing mix is one of the marketing strategies to convey information widely, introduce a product of goods and services, stimulate consumers to give and even create personal preferences for the image of a product. The existence of a marketing strategy is a design of how one can exchange or create products to achieve the goal, namely increasing profits.
Therefore, a marketing strategy is very important for a company or business to achieve its goals. After establishing a hierarchy to determine the Rotaz business development strategy, then processing pairwise comparison data for all criteria for each hierarchical subsystem. It aims to determine the value of the weight of each hierarchical arrangement, namely at the level of criteria and alternatives. Table 1 shows the results of the analysis of the processing of pairwise comparison data from each criterion. Source: Primary data (2022) The results of the weighting of the criteria level, the criteria that become the main priority are price with a weighted value of 0,67. The high value of the weighted price criteria indicates that the price is very influential on the development of Rotaz's business to increase sales. According to Nabilaturrahmah et al (2021), the selling price of the product is the focus of consumers in making purchasing decisions. So it can be concluded that in determining Rotaz consumer purchasing decisions, the main factor is the price of the product.
Furthermore, the second priority is promotion with a weight value of 0,16.
Promotion is also one of the strategies that need to be considered by Rotaz's business in marketing its products. This is in line with the research conducted by Putranto et al (2021) which based on the results of the study, it is known that promotion has a positive and significant influence on consumer satisfaction.
The third priority is a product with a weight of 0,13. Rotaz producers need to pay attention to the quality of the products they produce, both in terms of taste, texture, and packaging. According to Wardhana & Prastawa (2017) if suppliers are used to producing products with consistent quality, it will make consumers lazy to find new suppliers. This can also be applied to Rotaz's efforts to make products that have good quality, so that consumers remain loyal to Rotaz products.
The fourth priority is place with a weight of 0,04. Place is the last priority because there is currently a shift in consumer behavior that tends to prefer buying a product through online purchases. So the seller also needs to adjust to this change in consumer attitudes. This is in accordance with the results of research conducted by Rosmadi (2021) that in marketing a product, small business actors can use social media such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram as a marketing strategy. This method is considered very appropriate during the covid-19 pandemic which requires everything to be done without direct contact.
The following are the results of the analysis of the pairwise comparison data processing from each alternative. Source: Primary data (2022) The results of the weighting of each alternative, the alternative that becomes the priority is consumer behavior with a weight of 0,55, the second priority is marketing with a weight of 0,27 and the third priority is advertising with a weight of 0,18. The amount of weight gain on consumer behavior shows that consumer behavior affects the development of the bakery business to increase sales.
After each criterion and alternative have been obtained, a synthesis is carried out to obtain the overall alternative weight value from the existing criteria. Before getting local priority first look for the global value. To get global priority by multiplying the results of the comparison of criteria with the results of the comparison of sub-criteria between alternatives. After the overall weight value of each alternative has been obtained, the local priority can be calculated by adding up all the overall weight values for each supplier. So the result is as follows in Table   3. Consumers' desires are related to their behavior in the decision-making process.
According to (Schwarzl & Grabowska, 2015) consumer behavior should be the focus of companies to understand how customers evaluate and make decisions for segmentation, targeting, positioning, and to develop an effective marketing mix.
In processing data based on human opinion, inconsistency is possible. This is because humans have limitations in giving their opinions consistently. The measurement of consistency ratio (CR) aims to see the inconsistency of the assessment given by the respondents. If CR < 0,1 then the pairwise comparison value in the given matrix is consistent. However, if CR > 0,1 then the pairwise comparisons in the given criteria matrix are inconsistent, so that the filling of the values in the paired matrix must be repeated. Based on the calculation results, the CR value is 0,0332. Because the value of CR < 0,1 then the pairwise comparison matrix between alternatives can be accepted.

CONCLUSION
Based on four criteria and three predetermined alternatives, after being analyzed using the AHP method, the best recommendation for Rotaz business development is to increase concentration on consumer behavior. Several elements of consumer behavior can be improved, including those related to product, service, quality, variety, and packaging. Existing bakery products need to be added to taste variations according to consumer tastes by using quality ingredients. Service improvement needs to be improved in terms of marketing media. Currently, Rotaz marketing is only done offline, even though there has been a shift in consumer behavior towards buying goods online. This more varied marketing activity requires packaging improvements so that the product is not easily damaged and has a more attractive appearance.


MaaS Bundling and Acceptance in the Pandemic Era: Evidence from Padua, Italy

Given the beneﬁts both individuals and collectivity have achieved over the past few years thanks to Mobility-as-Service (MaaS) systems, various studies were conducted to predict the level of acceptance of MaaS bundles from diﬀerent territorial scales and in diﬀerent countries. Results obtained are in some cases contradictory. Literature is lacking in the study of small-to-medium-sized urban contexts and in the eﬀects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This paper aims to understand (1) what factors inﬂuence respondents’ preferences between their usual transportation means and a possible MaaS alternative and (2) what leads a user to prefer one MaaS bundle to another. A logistic regression and a mixed logit model were developed to reach the two aims, respectively. These models were calibrated using questionnaires administered to employees of the Municipality of Padua, a medium-sized city in Italy. Aspects concerning the perception of health safety in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic were included in the analyses. In 37% of the cases, users stated they would be willing to adopt at least one of the proposed MaaS bundles. The results suggest that MaaS solutions can be a useful tool for managing mobility even in medium-sized cities, provided users’ biosecurity concerns are addressed by appropriate countermeasures.

Introduction
Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) seeks to integrate different transportation modes to facilitate seamless intermodal planning, booking, and payment through a single interface. According to one of the earliest definitions available in the literature [1], MaaS is a system in which mobility operators provide to customers a comprehensive range of mobility services. In fact, it can be regarded as a set of transportation services that different operators provide, typically bundled in packages and available within a single integrated platform [2], with the aim of providing more efficient mobility solutions [3,4]. MaaS could potentially reduce the ownership and costs of private vehicles and promote less resourceintensive modes of transportation, such as public transportation or shared services [5][6][7]. In this context, the present work focuses on understanding which factors influence bundle choice and its acceptance in a medium-sized city; aspects related to the COVID-19 pandemic were also considered in the analyses. As shown in Section 2, these aspects are still scarcely explored; in this sense, the present study can significantly contribute to the growing body of literature on MaaS bundling.
As the concept of MaaS is gaining increasing interest in both industry and research, there is a large body of literature that analyzes both its capabilities and its possible barriers/ risks [8]. In the last few years, the use of intelligent transportation systems has been growing rapidly in modern day cities to promote safer and more organized mobility [9]. MaaS could be applied in the context of smart road management and could be functional toward implementing autonomous vehicles in transportation systems [10].
Typically, in a MaaS scheme, users can pay for each trip (pay-as-you-go, PAYG) or subscribe to mobility bundles/ packages. e concept of bundles is receiving increasing attention (see Section 2), and many stated preferences (SP) surveys investigated the effect of sociodemographic characteristics and the transportation modes included in the bundle on users' preferences and their willingness to pay. In many cases, these SP survey-based approaches were the only viable means of investigating the problem because only a limited number of real-world pilot studies have been completed (e.g., the UbiGo field trial in Gothenburg [11] or the Sydney MaaS trial [12][13][14]), and only few commercial products are available (e.g., Whim). Although, alternative simulative agent-based approaches have been proposed [15,16].
Recently, Reck et al. [17] reviewed the literature on MaaS bundles, highlighting that there is a lack of research on how to build MaaS bundles and that fundamental differences in survey design limit comparative learning from previous studies, which may explain some contradictory results. Mixed results may also be due to differences in the characteristics of the samples surveyed. Regarding this, Section 2 highlights that virtually all previous SP studies on MaaS bundling gathered data from large urban areas or even entire nations; conversely, there is a lack of studies investigating the potential of MaaS bundling in the context of small/medium-sized cities.
In the last few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has produced profound changes in everyday life worldwide, particularly in the way people move, with changes in travel frequency and preferred transportation modes [18][19][20].
ere has been much speculation on what mobility could look like after COVID-19, with one possible scenario being a return to the situation before the virus outbreak and another being a "new normal" that the pandemic experience has strongly influenced [21]. In this context, MaaS faces both opportunities and challenges [22]: on the one hand, an impulse toward the digital transition and sustainable transportation modes [23]; on the other hand, a reduction in travel demand and the use of public transportation [24].
Here, an SP survey was carried out during fall 2020 in Padua (Italy), a city with about 200,000 inhabitants within its administrative limits and about 400,000 when considering the wider urban area. e main objective of this paper is to contribute to the body of knowledge on MaaS bundles, as several studies have previously requested, including [17] and to investigate its potential within a medium-sized Italian city. In particular, the objectives are to understand (1) what factors influence respondents' preferences between their usual transportation means and a possible MaaS alternative and (2) what leads a user to prefer one MaaS bundle to another. Furthermore, the survey was administered within the COVID-19 pandemic context, and the results of the present study provide significant insights on how the pandemic may affect MaaS bundling and its acceptance.

SP Studies on MaaS Bundling
In the scientific literature on MaaS, one of the first studies investigating the concept of bundles as a mobility management tool was that of Matyas and Kamargianni [25], using an SP survey specifically designed for the task [26,27].
eir study area was Greater London and involved people over 18 years with a sample that was partially representative of the whole population. Respondents had to choose between three bundles, which could include a combination of subscriptions to public transportation, bike sharing, and taxi and car sharing; subsequently, they were asked about their likelihood to subscribe to their chosen plan. Methodologically, the authors applied two mixed multinomial logit (MNL) models to analyze their results, the first one including data from the whole sample, and the second one including only the responses of those who were likely to subscribe to the chosen bundle. e results of the models were closely aligned, and they highlighted public transportation's role as the backbone of MaaS. A similar SP experiment was carried out in the Netherlands to investigate the potential role of MaaS bundles as a tool to influence the choice of the commute mode [28]. e study focused exclusively on employees who commute to work using private/ leased car and public transportation. Mobility packages included different combinations of subscription levels for trains, public transportation, car sharing, and e-bike sharing, and also the use of private cars, with an increased parking tariff. e result of their mixed MNL model suggested that the presence of trains, car sharing, price, and the parking tariff were all influential factors for the choice of employees' mode, showing the advantages of combining both incentives and deterrents in transportation demand management strategies.
Concurrently, Ho et al. [29] adopted a face-to-face stated choice study to investigate the potential uptake and willingness to pay for MaaS. eir study involved 252 Sydneybased people who were asked to choose between their current travel pattern and other MaaS bundles generated based on previous responses. e MaaS alternatives included both bundles and PAYG plans. eir results indicated that nearly half of the survey respondents would accept the MaaS solution and that the levels of potential uptake varied considerably in each segment of the population, with casual car users being the most likely adopters and car nonusers being the least. Furthermore, the willingness to pay was much lower compared to the current daily limit (according to a subsequent case study located in Australia [30]), suggesting a careful segmentation of the market and the need for cross-subsidy strategies. Kim et al. [31], who investigated the potential of the MaaS package in Seoul using a web-based interview, followed a similar approach and design. In their study, the binary choice task between the current travel pattern and a proposed mobility package was repeated five times. A latent class model was developed and showed that latent classes corresponded to public transportation-oriented and balanced-mode people, with different influencing factors. eir study's results emphasized the importance of considering the characteristics of users and building environment in planning MaaS systems.
Guidon et al. [32] adopted a survey design in which Zurich citizens were asked to consider MaaS bundles and standalone subscriptions to transportation services. Many transportation modes were found to be significantly more attractive within bundles, with the exception of taxi and bike/e-bike sharing. For this reason, the authors concluded that mobility providers should not include all transportation modes in composing the bundles.
Another survey-based study investigated MaaS bundles in Greater Manchester [33]. Unlike previously discussed works, respondents had to "build" their ideal MaaS package from a pool of mobility services, including bike sharing, car sharing, taxi, and public transportation (an approach also adopted in another SP choice survey administered in the Netherlands [34]). e price was then calculated based on the chosen features. Consistent with previous studies [29], MaaS could particularly benefit casual car users, while frequent bus users prefer MaaS bundles that only include public transportation. ey also discussed the importance of sociodemographic characteristics and the willingness to pay. Within the same research project, another paper addressed the question of preference heterogeneity and developed a latent class choice model [35]. From this, three latent classes emerged, each with a different MaaS package preference and individual characteristics, with current travel habits, gender, age, education, and income all playing significant roles.
According to this literature overview on MaaS bundles, several studies have been conducted over the last few years. However, it is relevant to stress that even if they all shared the same broad objective (i.e., to study the demand for MaaS bundles), their conclusions strongly depend on how the surveys were designed. In particular, it is possible to identify four types of discrete choice designs: (1) Respondents choose among different MaaS bundles (e.g., [25]) (2) Respondents choose between the current travel pattern and one or more MaaS bundles (e.g., [29]) (3) Respondents choose between MaaS bundles and standalone subscriptions (e.g., [32]) (4) Respondents build their own MaaS bundle (e.g., [33]) is led to somewhat contradictory results in certain cases (e.g., Guidon et al. [32] found a positive willingness to pay for a MaaS bundle with car sharing, whereas Matyas and Kamargianni [27] found negative preferences for MaaS bundles that included this service), and several papers (e.g., [25,36]) highlighted the need for further studies to confirm/ extend their findings. Furthermore, all of the above-discussed works dealt with case studies that considered entire nations or large urban areas. e potential of MaaS bundling in small/medium-sized cities is still relatively unexplored. Finally, only a few published papers discussed SP surveys on MaaS bundling conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic [37], and virtually none discussed its implications on users' preferences.
Given this background in the literature, the present work contributes to exploring MaaS bundling and its acceptance within the specific context of a medium-sized city, including COVID-19 factors and their implications. e SP design adopted here was inspired by [25] and can be regarded as a combination of designs 1 and 2, considering that respondents were asked to choose both between different bundles and between the selected bundle and their current travel plan (more details in Section 3).

Materials and Methods
To investigate preferences in MaaS bundling and to analyze factors that could affect its adoption, an online questionnaire was administered between October 2020 and January 2021 to employees of the Municipality of Padua. Note that Padua is an Italian densely populated medium-sized city; currently, around 200,000 people live within its administrative limits and 400,000 within the wider urban area, with a density of about 2,300 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Considering the information needed to apply a stratified random sampling approach was not available, all people working in the municipality were asked to participate in the survey (including office workers, technicians, police officers, and teachers). In particular, while workplaces of potential respondents were within the municipality but not in the same building, individuals could live in any area of the Veneto region.
Specifically, 142 out of 255 respondents declared to live within the city limits, 230 within its province, and all of them within the Veneto region. e city offers several transportation services: urban bus, tram, bike sharing, e-bike sharing, e-scooter sharing, taxi, and car sharing. Padua is also connected to external areas through suburban bus and train services; in addition, there are two Park & Ride areas (one in the north and one in the south) at the city's entrance. e survey was divided into four sections. In the part related to revealed preferences (RP), information was collected regarding travel habits, such as the number of weekly trips, frequency of use of different vehicles, and average travel time for working trips. Respondents were asked to select the most frequently used mode of commute in the prepandemic phase, among the following 14 modes: walking, private bike, bike sharing, e-scooter sharing, motorbike, car as a driver alone, car as a driver with passengers, car as a passenger, carpooling, car sharing, taxi, urban public transportation (bus or tram), suburban bus, and train.
In the second part, subjects were asked about aspects related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the perceived level of health risk with respect to the current spread of the virus, the perceived level of safety from the health point of view for different travel modes, individual concern about contagion, and the importance of specific measures to contain the spread of the virus onboard vehicles and at public transit stops and stations.
In the third part, panel-structured SP experiments were administered. In particular, each respondent faced choice tasks in which they had to choose between two MaaS bundles [25]. Each bundle's attributes were defined as a mix of existing mobility services in Padua. e cost of each mobility option in the bundles was derived from what real operators provide in the area. In this way, realistic SP experiments were obtained. Furthermore, following the approach that [25] proposed, not to increase the response burden, neither the status quo option nor the PAYG option were included Journal of Advanced Transportation among the alternatives. Five different experiments were defined, with different attributes of the alternatives, consistently with information from the RP part of the survey (e.g., main transportation mode used and driving license). A D-optimal design procedure was implemented, generating 16 choice scenarios. ese scenarios were grouped in blocks so that each unique respondent had to answer four choice tasks. After each SP experiment, respondents had to indicate whether they were willing to adopt the chosen MaaS package, as opposed to their current travel mode. is twofold question structure allowed investigating the MaaS bundling as well as the potential adoption of the service. Table 1 shows the potential components of the proposed MaaS bundles as well as their subscription levels and associated costs. Each of the proposed bundles was defined monthly.
Socioeconomic information was collected in the last part of the survey, both at the household level (members, number of cars, bikes and motorbikes, and total income) and at the individual level (age, gender, postcode of residence, subscription to public transportation, car sharing, and bike sharing).
Data collected were used to calibrate two different models. First, a mixed logit model was implemented to understand factors that influence the choice of one bundle rather than another. Secondly, logistic regression was developed to analyze factors influencing the potential adoption of a proposed MaaS package. Methodologically, with respect to the four discrete choice designs identified in the literature review in Section 2, the present approach can be considered as a combination of designs 1 and 2 because respondents were first asked to choose among different bundles (leading to the MaaS bundle choice model, Section 3.1) and later between the selected bundle and their current travel pattern (leading to the MaaS adoption model, Section 3.2). In this way, a comprehensive analysis was performed, with the aim to analyze not only the choice of a specific MaaS bundle but also the future use of the service.

MaaS Bundle Choice Model.
Mixed logit is a discrete choice model that overcomes some of the standard logit model's limitations by considering random variations in taste between selectors, unrestricted substitution patterns across choices, and correlation in not observed factors over time [38]. In this paper, a mixed logit model was calibrated using answers to SP experiments, where respondents had to choose between the two MaaS bundles. e model allowed accounting for the survey's panel structure. e model was calibrated using Biogeme software [39]. Table 2 shows the list of exogenous variables used for model specification.

MaaS Adoption Model.
Logistic regression is a generalized linear regression model used when the dependent variable is dichotomic. In this paper, the model was used to investigate the probability of adopting MaaS, considering the characteristics of both the bundles and the respondents.
Significant variables were selected manually and by applying an automated stepwise procedure. e model was built with R statistical software [40]. Table 3 shows the list of exogenous variables used in the model's final version. Note that the variables related to the COVID-19 pandemic were included in the model specification; in this way, potential effects of the pandemic on future MaaS diffusion were investigated.

Results and Discussion
ere were 255 complete questionnaires.
ere are 1,650 employees of Padua's municipality, which corresponds to a sampling rate of about 16%; the sample size was considered appropriate for a margin of error of 10% at 95% confidence level [41]. Table 4 provides a summary of the respondents' socioeconomic characteristics. Table 5 shows the main travel means subjects used to reach their workplace; driving own car was the most common travel mode, followed by private bikes. Indeed, most respondents (56%) live in Padua's municipality and need to cover relatively short distances to commute. A quarter of the interviewees adopted public transportation modes (bus and train). At the time of survey administration, shared mobility services (bike, e-scooter, and car) seem not to be appreciated (1% of the sample selected bike sharing).

MaaS Bundle Choice-Model Estimation.
Results from the calibration phase of the mixed logit model that predicts the choice between two MaaS bundles are reported in Table 6. In the model's final version, three random parameters were adopted. Constants were included with a normal distribution, as were the cost of packages; conversely, the variable related to the presence of e-scooter sharing service in the   bundle followed a uniform distribution. Moreover, 1,000 Halton intelligent draws were used. e bundle's cost had a negative effect, as expected (B_COST). MaaS packages with unlimited bike sharing (B_BS), car sharing with PAYG option (B_CS_RATE), and unlimited urban public transportation (B_TPL) were likely to be chosen. On the contrary, the presence of a 10-day urban public transportation pass (B_TPL_10DAYS) had a negative effect on users' choice of the bundle; however, this effect was reversed for people living in Padua (B_PDxTPL_10DAYS).
Mobility habits were found to play a significant role on the bundle choice. ose travelling to work using a private car appreciated Park & Ride (B_RP_CARxPARK). Moreover, the coefficient of the variable representing the interaction between the private car frequency and the presence of 5-hour car sharing was negative, indicating that this service could not foster substituting private vehicles (B_F_CARxCS_HOUR). Surprisingly, the car did not reduce the likelihood of choosing MaaS bundles with public transportation. In particular, commuters travelling via car appreciated bundles containing urban transit more than others did (B_RP_CARxTPL), and the number of cars available in the family positively affected the adoption of bundles with a 10-day public transportation pass (B_HH_CARxTPL_10DAYS); this aspect will certainly need to be verified with future studies, but it could be due to the proposed service's flexibility. However, the coefficient of the variable indicating the interaction between the night bus service and household cars was negative (B_HH_CARxNB); this was an expected result because people belonging to households with a large number of   6 Journal of Advanced Transportation vehicles are likely to use one of them, instead of public transportation, during the night. As expected, commuters using public transportation showed a strong propensity toward MaaS packages containing suburban transportation services (B_RP_PTxSUB). In addition, people adopting active modes seemed to prefer bundles with the e-scooter sharing service (B_RP_ACTIVExSC).

MaaS Adoption-Model Estimation.
e calibration of the logistic regression parameters and model statistics are reported in Table 7. e model predicts the probability of adopting the MaaS plan chosen in the previous SP experiment. Concerning general bundle composition, results showed that the carsharing service (CS_HOUR, CS_RATE) prompted respondents to reject the MaaS (according to the negative coefficient reported in [25]). Users who took more time to travel from home to work declared they were more willing to adopt the MaaS system (TT). People who lived in Padua, on the other hand, were less interested in the service (PD), except for bundles that included Park & Ride (PDxPARK) and the e-scooter sharing service (PDxSC). Women were less attracted to MaaS in general (GENDER_F), but they seemed to appreciate bundles containing unlimited urban transportation services (GENDER_FxTPL). is is somewhat consistent with recent studies reporting that women do not well receive shared mobility regarding safety, reliability, and user-friendliness, even though women are known to use public transportation more than men do [42]. is also highlights the need for additional studies on the gender gap in the transportation sector [43]. As the weekly use of city bus, private bike, or train increased, the attractiveness of MaaS decreased (F_BUS, F_PB, F_TRAIN). e older respondents appreciated MaaS more (AGE), which opposed what was observed in other studies [34,44], except for the packages that contained the e-scooter sharing service (AGExSC). Understandably, as income per household increased, there was a greater propensity to accept higher cost bundles (INCOMExCOST), but at the same time, those with greater economic resources did not appreciate the night bus service (INCOMExNB). As the number of cars available to the family increased, the declared propensity for the adoption of MaaS decreased (HH_CAR). Users who used the bus, the car as a passenger or the motorcycle as the main means of commute declared they would be in favor of adopting the proposed MaaS bundles (RP_BUS, RP_DRIVEPASS, RP_MOTO).
Variables related to the COVID-19 pandemic could play a nonnegligible role on MaaS adoption. As previous authors reported [24], biosecurity concerns about public transportation was found to be one of the main affecting factors. Respondents who considered using urban public transportation very unsafe or unsafe, from a health point of view, declared that they would be more likely to reject a MaaS scheme containing the urban public transportation option (SAFE_BUS_1XTPL, SAFE_BUS_1xTPL_10DAYS, SAFE_BUS_2xTPL, SAFE_BUS_2xTPL_10GG). Regarding the countermeasures that could be adopted to contain the spread of COVID-19, those who rated as important or very important to control access to public means via the web, telephone, or app booking system declared they were more inclined to adopt proposed MaaS solutions (MEAS_E_4, MEAS_E_5); the same was true for those who believed that daily sanitizing vehicles and stations was important (MEAS_F_4) and for those who considered body temperature checks with thermal scanners at the station entrance as very important (MEAS_H_5). MEAS_L_2 and MEAS_L_5 were both positive, showing that MaaS can be appreciated by those who are unwilling and, similarly, by those who are willing to walk a few more minutes to reach less crowded stations/stops to reduce risks associated with COVID-19.

Conclusions
In this research activity, answers from a questionnaire administered to employees of the Municipality of Padua (Italy) were used to understand factors that (1) affect the adoption of MaaS and (2) most influence the choice of a specific package over another. Two models have been built: the first, mixed logit to interpret which MaaS bundle compositions were more attractive than others were; the second model, a logistic regression model to evaluate the factors that affected MaaS adoption replacing the transportation mode currently used. As this is an SP experiment, all the information collected is in hypothetical terms. From a socioeconomic point of view, age and gender had no effect on package composition preferences, but women were less likely to change their habits regarding adopting MaaS; high-income people and people with a large number of cars available in the household were not particularly interested in the services offered. Users who made very long trips from home to work (regarding time) were more likely to join MaaS, probably because it would represent an inexpensive/cheap solution in any case. People who lived near the workplace and those who were accustomed to riding their bike to get to work were not inclined to choose MaaS solutions (the two groups partially coincided). Furthermore, extending the potential catchment area of MaaS played a significant role in its future adoption; in particular, people living in the city center, although less willing to subscribe, were more likely to accept a bundle with Park & Ride services and e-scooter sharing. From this point of view, the present work contributes to shed light on the MaaS relevance in a typical medium-sized city. In about 20% of the cases (202 out of 1,020 choices), respondents stated they would be willing to change their travel habits by adopting the proposed MaaS bundle. More than 37% of respondents (95 out of 255) indicated they were inclined to accept more than one of the bundles proposed in the four choice exercises. Regarding proposed MaaS configurations, carsharing services received the least appreciation. Users accustomed to using shared modes were most likely to join MaaS. Lastly, the biosecurity concern of travelling on public transportation could significantly reduce the likelihood to adopt MaaS. is represents a barrier to adopting the service because public transit is usually regarded as the backbone of MaaS. However, the analysis pointed out specific countermeasures, both onboard vehicles and at stations/stops, which could mitigate the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the future diffusion of MaaS.
In conclusion, the results showed that a good portion of commuters would be willing to adopt MaaS, demonstrating the potential of the latter in improving urban and nonurban mobility.
e results obtained can help companies build MaaS bundles that are more attractive for users, thus promoting its adoption. Starting from these considerations, future studies could investigate the attractiveness of packages' components in a similar context, in particular, focusing on packages' prices and exploring different and/or larger samples. e MaaS system can be an excellent tool to improve traveler habits and simultaneously improve environmental and traffic conditions in the network, despite the situation and uncertainties related to the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the virus implies a general lower propensity to use shared means of transportation, using the right countermeasures could be a correct approach to return to normal modal split levels, and in fact, foster new sustainable mobility services such as MaaS in many cities.

Data Availability
e data used to support the findings of this study are available upon request from the corresponding author.

Conflicts of Interest
e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.


Gastronomic Tourism and Tourist Motivation: Exploring Northern Areas of Pakistan

Gastronomic tourism is becoming an essential consideration among tourists when choosing a tourist destination. One of the main reasons for visiting a specific destination for almost 15% of tourists is “gastronomy”. This has led to the development of a new kind of tourism called “Gastronomic Tourism”. However, there has been minimal research on gastronomy tourism, specifically in Pakistan. The primary purpose of this study is to measure the level of satisfaction in a tourist destination and furthermore consider gastronomy as a component of visitor motivation. A survey of 307 tourists who had recently visited Pakistan’s northern areas was undertaken to conduct the study. This has enabled us to better understand the variables that influence the behaviors and attitudes of tourists toward this popular tourist attraction. Gastronomy motivation impacts tourism location selection, and gastronomic experience influences satisfaction, according to the research. Specifically, tourists show a keen interest in gastronomic experiences after feeling satisfied with the destination and local foods, developing loyalty toward the destination.

Introduction
In the current era, tourism has become one of the world's most important and fastestgrowing industries. While the tourism industry has a positive impact on the economy, it also plays a crucial role in creating jobs and improving the quality of life for its citizens [1][2][3]. Tourism is considered by almost every country as one of the main factors behind economic growth, country image, and upgrading of the tourist industry. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC, 2019) issued statistics in 2019, stating that the tourism industry created 334 million jobs worldwide and contributed 10.4% to global GDP through direct or indirect sources. The tourism industry is the primary contributor to revenue generation, especially those dependent on tourism-generated revenue. The tourism industry supports the global industry, among other service industries. This is why many countries invest in and support the tourism industry [4][5][6][7]. Poon and Lock-Teng Low (2005) stated that tourists' motivations depend on tourism structures, i.e., including different cultural events, food and sports festivals, and beautiful landscapes. Tourism is linked to natural landscapes and delicious local foods [8][9][10]. Behavior, motivation, satisfaction, and destination loyalty depend on local foods and destination satisfaction. Local foods are graded according to their taste, quality, and residence behavior [11,12]. Local foods attract tourists (local and international) to consume and generate motivational messages for other tourists [13,14]. generate motivational messages for other tourists [13,14]. Local food is a crucial attraction for tourists. Furthermore, local foods contribute to tourists' satisfaction and destination loyalty [15,16]. Tourist satisfaction and motivational levels depend on food quality, destination importance, and the natural atmospheric environment [17]. Many studies have identified and mentioned that local food can be used as a competitive tool and criterion for tourist attractions and destination loyalty [18,19,20].
Gastronomic tourism has received partial attention in academic circles, and most research has been conducted on the wine industry in Australia and Europe [21]. Tourists' preference for a place is increasingly influenced by factors such as the quality of the local cuisine, local culture, religion, and budget [22,23]. An increasing amount of research is being conducted on how food, wine, and the "gastronomic experience" as a whole affect people's overall satisfaction and motivational level [24,25]. As a result, local cuisine has become a popular tourist attraction. It is now part of the cultural legacy of the regions visited by tourists frequently [26]. Tourism and gastronomy are linked in four ways: (1) as an integral component of local culture, (2) as a source of income for the tourism industry, and, finally, (3) in the form of tangible goods sold to tourists [1]. Many tourist locations rely on gastronomic tourism. Food serves as both an attraction and a way to convey the image of an area. The importance of local foods creates a preference for tourists to visit a destination [27]. The primary motivation of tourists (15% of total) is to choose an area rich in local foods (FITUR) [28], but the World Tourism Organization (WTO) is concerned with insufficient promotion of gastronomic tourism. After culture and natural landscapes, gastronomy tourism comes third for tourists to visit and consume local foods [29]. More than 2 million foreigners visited Pakistan in 2017, with the majority visiting the country's northern areas (see the Appendix B for northern areas). Through initiatives such as "Emerging Pakistan" and "Amazing Pakistan", Pakistan's tourist industry is reaping the advantages of its destination brand image. Pakistan has been ranked 124th in the World Economic Forum's Tourism and Competitive Ranking. Pakistan's tourism industry requires further efforts to improve its worldwide ranking. Until 2030, the country expects to experience an approximately 30% increase in tourists due to existing government policies and steps to encourage domestic and international tourism. Pakistan's tourist industry earned nearly $948 million, which was earned by Pakistan's tourist industry in 2019. According to Mortor Intelligence, Pakistan's tourist earnings have varied dramatically in recent years, although they have grown throughout the 2015-2019 timeframe ( Figure 1) [30]. Local food is defined as "products which not only symbolize tourism destinations but also vividly demonstrate local traditional culture" [31]. Source: Mordor Intelligence. Reprinted/adapted with permission from https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/market-entrytourism-and-hotel-industry-in-pakistan, accessed on 9 May 2022. . Local food is defined as "products which not only symbolize tourism destinations but also vividly demonstrate local traditional culture" [31]. Source: Mordor Intelligence. Reprinted/adapted with permission from https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/ market-entry-tourism-and-hotel-industry-in-pakistan, accessed on 9 May 2022.
The primary purpose of this study is to fill the gap in the literature, as most gastronomic tourism studies have been conducted in Europe and Australia [1]. Gastronomic research is scarce in South Asian countries, specifically in Pakistan. Second, grounded in the self-concept theory of Sirgy [32], this study may help determine gastronomic tourism after reopening the tourism industry (after the COVID-19 pandemic) [33]. It may help gastronomic tourism lovers identify gastronomic experiences linked with the lover's motivation, loyalty, and destination satisfaction level or have some effects on tourism. In addition, given the present circumstances after the COVID-19 pandemic, the new tendencies described in this analysis may reveal another possibility and open up new areas (northern areas of Pakistan) in the domain for gastronomic tourists to explore [4]. Boksberger et al. [34] advocate that self-concept theory stresses more valuation, particularly in tourism-related studies. In response to Boksberger et al. [34], many research studies have been conducted; that is, as Muskat et al. [35] point out, it is more challenging to explain visitors' food and location preferences. The results of Goolaup et al. [36] were influenced by visitors' in-depth understanding of the food and their frequent exposure to dining experiences. Moreover, as Berbel-Pineda et al. [1] pointed out, additional study is required to establish the effect of culinary tourism on tourist behavior. This study was undertaken to better understand the current literature on tourist behavior in choosing local meals, specifically in the northern areas of Pakistan ( Figure 2). This study is organized into different sections, the first of which describes a scientific literature review from the past. The study includes the methodology, results analysis and findings, conclusion and discussion, and implications of the study, and it concludes with the study's future direction and limitations. The primary purpose of this study is to fill the gap in the literature, as most gastronomic tourism studies have been conducted in Europe and Australia [1]. Gastronomic research is scarce in South Asian countries, specifically in Pakistan. Second, grounded in the self-concept theory of Sirgy [32], this study may help determine gastronomic tourism after reopening the tourism industry (after the COVID-19 pandemic) [33]. It may help gastronomic tourism lovers identify gastronomic experiences linked with the lover's motivation, loyalty, and destination satisfaction level or have some effects on tourism. In addition, given the present circumstances after the COVID-19 pandemic, the new tendencies described in this analysis may reveal another possibility and open up new areas (northern areas of Pakistan) in the domain for gastronomic tourists to explore [4]. Boksberger et al. [34] advocate that self-concept theory stresses more valuation, particularly in tourism-related studies. In response to Boksberger et al. [34], many research studies have been conducted; that is, as Muskat et al. [35] point out, it is more challenging to explain visitors' food and location preferences. The results of Goolaup et al. [36] were influenced by visitors' in-depth understanding of the food and their frequent exposure to dining experiences. Moreover, as Berbel-Pineda et al. [1] pointed out, additional study is required to establish the effect of culinary tourism on tourist behavior. This study was undertaken to better understand the current literature on tourist behavior in choosing local meals, specifically in the northern areas of Pakistan ( Figure 2). This study is organized into different sections, the first of which describes a scientific literature review from the past. The study includes the methodology, results analysis and findings, conclusion and discussion, and implications of the study, and it concludes with the study's future direction and limitations.

Self-Concept Theory
According to self-concept theory, customers' preferences for products and their selfconcept in relation to those products are distinct from one another [32]. According to the notion of self-concept, brands and products that are seen to be identical to the consumer's self-concept are more likely to be preferred by the customer [37]. Chon [38] was the first to apply self-concept theory to tourism research. The research carried out in Virginia and Norfolk gathered data from 225 participants to investigate self-concept theory and customer satisfaction levels. According to the findings of this study, there is a favorable association between self-concept theory and tourist satisfaction. Several tourism studies have been conducted to test self-concept ideas. Litvin and Kar [39] expand on the results of Chon [38] in Singapore. They looked at the relationship between visitor satisfaction and

Self-Concept Theory
According to self-concept theory, customers' preferences for products and their selfconcept in relation to those products are distinct from one another [32]. According to the notion of self-concept, brands and products that are seen to be identical to the consumer's self-concept are more likely to be preferred by the customer [37]. Chon [38] was the first to apply self-concept theory to tourism research. The research carried out in Virginia and Norfolk gathered data from 225 participants to investigate self-concept theory and customer satisfaction levels. According to the findings of this study, there is a favorable association between self-concept theory and tourist satisfaction. Several tourism studies have been conducted to test self-concept ideas. Litvin and Kar [39] expand on the results of Chon [38] in Singapore. They looked at the relationship between visitor satisfaction and self-concepts; both are real and desired concepts. The authors of [40] developed an integrated self-concept and tourist behavior model that is still in use today. Their research concluded that travel behavior is influenced by an individual's self-concept and other elements (such as gastronomic experience) that impact tourist behavior (i.e., motivation, satisfaction, and loyalty). Furthermore, the self-concept theory was experimentally tested in Spain with destination satisfaction and tourist motivation by Beerli et al. [41]. The results showed that ideal and real self-concepts and destination images have a significant association, leading to stronger travel inclinations for destinations. They suggested more research to determine the connection and build consent regarding self-concept theory and tourism studies. The same theory was used in the tourism study by Boksberger et al. [34] during their visit to Switzerland. They highlighted three main questions regarding the use of self-concept theory: the importance of self-concept theory in tourism, how destination and subjective factors affect our self-concept, and whether self-concept theory is applicable in the tourism industry. This study attempts to link self-concept theory to gastronomic tourism in Pakistan.

Tourists' Motivations and Gastronomic Experiences
Currently, the main reason for developing tourist motivation is the gastronomic experience [42]. The gastronomic experiences develop from trying local foods and cuisines, considering other features, such as the food price and the destination overall environment, and receiving a high level of customer service. This research examines what motivates tourists to visit a specific location to engage in culinary activities. Gastronomic experiences may be obtained from several motivational perspectives, including experiencing regional food, attending gastronomy events, and embarking on gastronomic tours [1]. Gastronomic experiences attract and motivate a growing number of visitors to tourist places [43]. Even though it was formerly seen as a secondary activity, food is recognized as a primary activity or even as a factor attracting tourists to a location [44]. Gastronomic tourism can be defined as "the type of tourism where tourists consider local foods and cuisines the principal or secondary motivation, to visit gastronomic areas, gastronomic festivals, and restaurants, or other places where food tasting and/or the experience related to gastronomy are key elements" [45][46][47]. In addition to gastronomy as a motivator, there are various other factors, all of which are subjective to the individual tourist, leading to a desire to experience a particular destination's gastronomic attractions [48]. Dann [49] classified visitors' motives, and there are two primary classifications of tourist motivations: (1) the desire to flee and (2) the urge to explore. Visitors either travel because motivations or internal factors compel them or they are attracted to the features of the destinations [50]. People are increasingly traveling for gastronomic motives, and there is a positive association between food and a destination because the cuisine of a country is intimately associated with its image [2]. Many places emphasize food as the foundation of their tourism offerings because of the increased motivation for local cuisine [51].

H1.
Tourists' motivations has a positive relationship with gastronomic experiences.

Gastronomic Experience and Destination Satisfaction
Gastronomic experience is influenced by the tourist response; either they feel satisfied or unsatisfied from the destination, and the tourist visits a specific location with some expectations [44]. There is an understanding that satisfaction is an evaluation of certain aspects concerning a standard, but the literature review shows no consensus on conceptualizing satisfaction [52]. Public interest in gastronomy has grown steadily over the last several years, and its influence can be traced back to the origins of the concept of tourist satisfaction. According to [53], the best eating experiences are obtained via motivation and memorability, but remembering previous experiences is essential in future encounters.
Gastronomy plays a vital role in the tourism industry, and food has become an essential entity among other products to attract tourists. Upon satisfaction with local foods, tourists intensify their motivation toward a specific destination. Furthermore, gastronomic experience helps the tourism industry to welcome tourists in large numbers and ultimately generates revenue [54,55]. Gastronomic experience depends on multiple factors, such as tourist destinations, food preparation and presentation, and local community customs. Tourists' satisfaction with the destination relies on the total tourist experience while visiting the destination. Bad food experience reduces tourist satisfaction with the destination and affects the image of that destination [51,56]. Gastronomic tourism has attracted the attention of scholars from different perspectives to study the gastronomic association with the destination's image, food and overall experience [57]. Special attention to local foods motivates tourists to experience gastronomic tourism [58]. National and international tourists seek gastronomy in their destination selection and pay special attention to locations rich in local foods [59]. Gastronomy is one of the main reasons for tourist holiday satisfaction. Therefore, a positive relationship exists between gastronomic experience and destination satisfaction [60]. Destination attraction and tourist satisfaction are linked with gastronomy, which is considered a primary motivational factor for visiting a specific destination [61].
H2. Gastronomic experiences have a positive effect on a greater satisfaction with a specific tourist destination.

Destination Satisfaction and Destination Loyalty
In recent years, food has been acknowledged to play an important role in travel experience. It is consistently cited as one of the most significant factors in tourism research [62,63]. The most popular tourist attraction in the world today is food, which serves as an excellent way to show off a destination's distinct culture while also influencing travelers' opinions, loyalty, and satisfaction [64]. Ref. [65] considers that the quality of food and refreshments has an impact on tourists' returning intentions, and as a result, loyalty to a certain tourist area develops. Previous research indicates that customer destination satisfaction leads to re-visits to a specific destination and a positive word-of-mouth relationship, both of which are important indicators of destination loyalty [66,67].
Loyalty is defined by Oliver (1999) as a commitment that is maintained over time by repeated purchases of a product or service.
Consequently, cognitive, emotional, normative, and behavioral loyalty is established due to tourists' satisfaction with the overall gastronomy experience. Authors that focus on gastronomic tourism emphasize that gastronomy is a critical component of overall destination satisfaction. Tourists' expectations about gastronomy, destination, and frequency to visit again forecast their loyalty [68,69]. Tourists are the real ambassadors of their own country, presenting country images in a sophisticated way to others. These recommendations encourage others to visit a specific destination and experience gastronomy. The pleasant scenery, satisfaction from local foods, and excitement of destinations contribute to tourist loyalty toward specific destinations [64,70].
H3. Destination satisfaction has a positive influence on destination loyalty

Gastronomic Experience and Destination Loyalty
Presenting a good image of a destination is a major concern in contemporary tourism studies. Imagery has long been recognized as having an impact on tourists' behavior, ranging from their judgments of destination attributes to their final decision making [71]. The gastronomic experience develops and contributes to tourists' satisfaction and loyalty to a specific destination and influences them to revisit it [17]. Loyalty toward a destination develops when tourists repeat their visits after having a positive gastronomic experience [66,69]. Loyalty toward a specific destination is also determined by extending or lengthening the stay in a particular area. Furthermore, the gastronomic experience contributes to the destination image when tourists recommend it to their friends and family members about that specific destination [72][73][74].Tourists who are satisfied with the local cuisine in Portugal have a high likelihood of returning with friends and family in the future, according to recent research. Previous literature also recommended a positive link between gastronomic experience and loyalty toward the destination [75,76].

H4.
Gastronomic experience and destination loyalty are positively linked.

Population and Sampling
The data were collected via self-administered questionnaires from 322 tourists using a convenience sampling technique. The convenience sampling technique helps to collect and manage data efficiently. Respondents solicited Pakistani culinary preferences when they visited tourist destinations. We received 307 valid responses from tourists who were deemed eligible for the study. Due to missing data, we removed 15 questionnaires. The missing data were due to the respondents' lack of participation or interest in the study.
Participants were asked to either participate through a paper-pencil or online survey, and most tourists were encouraged to fill out the questionnaire on the spot. We followed Lee's [77] recommendations for sufficient sample size. Our response rate was 95.34%, which is enough in survey-based research. The respondents were informed that their data would be kept confidential and never shared with others. They ensured that their data could only be used in our research.

Measures
An empirical analysis based on visitor surveys was conducted. This research survey is based on previously published scholarly studies [1,44,55,78] and responds to different questions related with tourism and gastronomy (see Appendix A). The Prime Minister of Pakistan announced the reopening of the tourism industry on 1 June 2020. The field work was conducted between June and September 2021 in different hotel establishments in the northern areas of Pakistan. An increasing number of visitors flock to the area around this time of year, especially after the release of COVID-19 restrictions. However, visitors from other countries make only a modest portion of the sample's total number of visits. We used local well-trained graduates to assist in data collection. Our research assists in visiting different destinations, especially hotels, for data collection. Upon permission from hotel management, our research assistants engaged in data collection in the lobby or at the reception desk of each hotel between 9.00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., after each guest checked in and departed during those hours. The survey was carried out at this location to contact tourists in a manner more convenient for everyone involved. Each hotel had a single interviewer who was in charge of handing out the survey to visitors. The written survey took about 10-15 min to complete and was available in English. For tourists who did not know English, the interviewer translated them into their native language. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software (International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), New York, NY, USA) to test the proposed hypotheses. Before conducting an in-depth review of the data, some pretesting was performed, including the validity of measurement scales, confirmatory factor analysis, the Harmen single factor test, and a descriptive analysis of the observable variables. Table 1 defines the respondents' statistics. There were 196 male (62.8%) and 111 female respondents (36.2%). The maximum number of tourists was aged between 31 and 35 years (55.7%), while participants below 25 years of age accounted for 6.5% of the total study sample. This study included 243 tourists with a graduate degree (79.2%) and PhD holders who participated in this study (6%). The study sample consisted of participants who worked in the private sector (30.3%), government employees (17.6%), unemployed participants (8.8%), and retired participants (8.5%), while 13% had their own businesses. The study respondents showed that most tourists were from Pakistan (93.2%), while international tourist participation was 6.8%.  Table 2 summarizes the descriptive statistics for all the constructs, including the means and standard deviations (SD). The mid-scale point of 3 was surpassed by the values of all the means of the structures. Motivation had the highest mean (Mean = 4.0275), followed by loyalty (Mean = 4.0195), tourist satisfaction (Mean = 3.7638), and gastronomic experience (Mean = 3.8514). The results of the Pearson correlation analysis ranged from 0.371 to 0.848 and were significant at the 0.01 level. The study used the heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) ratio to determine the discriminant validity. When the HTMT ratio is smaller than 0.9, discriminant validity is established [79]. Table 2 shows that all constructs had an HTMT ratio of less than 0.9, indicating discriminant validity. The findings demonstrate that the measurement model is suitable for measuring the constructs in the model.

Validity of Measurement Scales
Confirmatory factor analysis was used to find the reliability of the measuring instrument in this research. The CR ranged from 0.9445 to 0.843, which is higher from the minimum threshold of 0.60 [80,81]. The fit indices were all within the acceptable ranges, indicating a good match. Convergent and discriminant validity and other aspects of a scale's reliability were tested using validity tests. Standard factor loadings for each item were included in the recommended modifications, demonstrating congruent validity (Table 3). Explanatory power is quantified using the average variance extracted (AVE), which considers all measured variables. To pass the convergent validity test, all factor loadings must be above 0.7, and the AVE must be above 0.50 (Hair et al., 2014). As factor loadings varied from 0.697 to 0.862 and most AVE were over 0.5, all constructs demonstrated convergent validity. Consequently, the scale's reliability and validity were supported.

Common Method Bias
The dependent and independent variables might be subjected to common method bias. According to Harman's single-factor test assumptions, when a single or general variable creates more than 50% of the variation across different constructs, the presence of common method variance is determined. Under varimax rotation settings, all suggested constructions were loaded inside their respective factors, and the research findings were judged to be sufficient (32.22%) [82,83]. This means that our sample data are free of common bias, and we may proceed to the next step of the analysis.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis
For confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), we used AMOS to assure that the model captured distinct constructs. The hypothesized four-factor measurement model (consisting of gastronomic experience, satisfaction with destination, motivation, and loyalty) provided an acceptable fit to the data X2 = 3774, df = 1245, TLI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.02, CFI = 0.91, and SRMR = 0.03 (Table 4).

Hypothesis Testing
As shown in Table 5, H1, H2, H3, and H4 were tested for their direct relationships using SPSS linear regression. The results follow the assumptions developed in the literature. There is a significant positive relationship between tourists' motivations and gastronomic experience (b = 0.284, p < 0.000); hence, H1 is supported. H2 (b = 0.138, p < 0.000), H3 (b = 0.489, p < 0.000), and H4 (b = 0.151, p < 0.000) are also consistent with our theoretical arguments stated earlier in our model and in the literature.

Conclusions
The primary purpose of this study was to measure the level of satisfaction with a tourist destination, taking into account local food as a factor in visitor motivation. Based on the existing literature, motivations, gastronomic experiences, satisfaction with the place, and loyalty have been investigated. To accomplish this, it was critical to choose a date on which a good sample of all relevant data could be acquired. The sample used in this research represents a highly significant tourism location (northern areas of Pakistan), which sees a rising number of visitors each year. Therefore, knowing about their thoughts and ideas regarding the cuisine of this area seems to be a vital component in sustaining the northern area's national and international reputation. According to the data, many visitors are motivated to visit a particular tourist destination by a desire to taste the local cuisine/food [64,70]. The gastronomic experience in the northern areas is quite pleasant. This contributes to tourists' overall satisfaction and loyalty to the area, meaning that many of them would want to return [66]. To visit a specific destination, gastronomic experience affects tourists' satisfaction levels and encourages tourists to visit again in the future [62]. Therefore, presenting a local gastronomic offer at a tourist destination is a key strategy for attracting tourists. Along with gastronomic offers, tourists suggest that if local people or the government provide better services to satisfy their needs, it will ultimately enhance motivation and develop loyalty to that destination.
The importance of gastronomic tourism allows travelers to feel the uniqueness of Pakistan's northern regions via its cuisine and beautiful scenery. When we asked a group of tourists and chefs why northern Pakistan is so popular, they all responded that it was due to the abundance of informal restaurants, tourists and their food taste. Moreover, different events occur in this area: the International Malam Jabba ski Tournament; International Naltar ski Tournament; Spring Blossom Festival (21 March-21 April; the Buddhists from Japan, Korea visit Gilgit Baltistan to witness the spring blossom, showing their religious affection); Jashan-e-Nowruz (21-23 March); the International Silk Route Festival; the Polo Festival at the world's second-highest polo ground; Chowmas; and many more throughout the year (Figure 3). Tourism zones that concentrate on their restaurants attract visitors and become culinary hotspots. While exploring the amazing regions of Pakistan, you will see some of the notable things: breathtaking scenic location, snowtopped mountains, lush green woodlands, superb sights and customary winter sports, traditions, history, and above all, the food that made the Pakistani culture more enriched and beautiful. On a trip to the northern areas of Pakistan, you can witness a broad scope of stunning dishes prominent among locals with their unique touch. Generally, meat dishes are among the most loved menus in many places in the north. There is native meat in North Pakistan, such as sheep and beef, in contrast to other areas of Pakistan where goat meat and poultry are very prominent. With access to significant waterways, a portion of the territories is famous for freshwater fish. In addition, game birds in the hunting season are common in different areas. We have made a list of Top 10 Foods to Eat in Northern Areas, and these are some of the favorite food items to taste while touring northern areas of Pakistan: (1) Chapli Kebab, (2)  Pakistan has been named the World's Best Holiday Destination for 2020 and the World's Third-Highest Potential Adventure Destination (Ahmed, 2019). Tourism grows as the country's security improves; in only two years, it has climbed by more than 300% (Hyams, 2020). For the first time, the Pakistani government has made online visa services available to citizens of 175 other nations (Pakistan Online Visa System, 2020), and visa-onarrival was granted to 50 nations (Pakistan Online Visa System, 2020), making a visit to Pakistan easier. The nation saw an inflow of travel vloggers, who showcased the country's beauty, particularly in Hunza and Skardu in the north (Ahmed, 2019). The gastronomic offer (from the meal itself to service efficiency) must be thoroughly understood and considered if the northern areas remain a popular destination for so-called "gastronomic tourists".

Theoretical Implication
This study empirically assessed the relationships among gastronomic experience, motivation, satisfaction, and loyalty. In this study, we find a strong relationship between these variables. While previous studies have examined loyalty-WOM in Pakistan [84], examining the links between gastronomic competence, satisfaction with destination, and loyalty has not yet been established in the literature. Furthermore, scholars in the tourism literature are divided on the importance of the gastronomic experience in a tourist's motivation, satisfaction, and loyalty to the place. This means that our research has important theoretical implications for understanding how tourists behave while visiting a cuisine attraction. In addition, our study challenges the current understanding of the antecedents of gastronomy tourism. Surprisingly, we found that all of these variables are Pakistan has been named the World's Best Holiday Destination for 2020 and the World's Third-Highest Potential Adventure Destination (Ahmed, 2019). Tourism grows as the country's security improves; in only two years, it has climbed by more than 300% (Hyams, 2020). For the first time, the Pakistani government has made online visa services available to citizens of 175 other nations (Pakistan Online Visa System, 2020), and visa-onarrival was granted to 50 nations (Pakistan Online Visa System, 2020), making a visit to Pakistan easier. The nation saw an inflow of travel vloggers, who showcased the country's beauty, particularly in Hunza and Skardu in the north (Ahmed, 2019). The gastronomic offer (from the meal itself to service efficiency) must be thoroughly understood and considered if the northern areas remain a popular destination for so-called "gastronomic tourists".

Theoretical Implication
This study empirically assessed the relationships among gastronomic experience, motivation, satisfaction, and loyalty. In this study, we find a strong relationship between these variables. While previous studies have examined loyalty-WOM in Pakistan [84], examining the links between gastronomic competence, satisfaction with destination, and loyalty has not yet been established in the literature. Furthermore, scholars in the tourism literature are divided on the importance of the gastronomic experience in a tourist's motivation, satisfaction, and loyalty to the place. This means that our research has important theoretical implications for understanding how tourists behave while visiting a cuisine attraction. In addition, our study challenges the current understanding of the antecedents of gastronomy tourism. Surprisingly, we found that all of these variables are positively related, suggesting that additional evidence is needed to reach an agreement among academics. Finally, the findings of this study also respond to gaps in the context of tourism literature.

Practical Implication
According to local media reports, as many as 1.72 million visited Gilgit-Baltistan between 2017 and 2018, marking a considerable growth compared to 0.5 million tourists who visited during the corresponding period the year before. These visits have brought Rs300 million in revenue for the local economy during the last few years. However, I found several issues hampering tourism growth in this region, including the lack of facilities to travel for national and international tourists, such as hotels, roads, internet/network services, and a shortage of media marketing to facilitate tourists. Environmental degradation is another issue that must be taken seriously by the government [85]. According to the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation, 2600 rooms in 140 hotels and 30 government rest homes are now available in the northern districts for tourists and three tourist facilitation centers at entry points. Suppose the government arranges a flight once a week for foreign and local tourists to visit the northern areas of Pakistan. In that case, it can generate more revenue for aviation, and local people can also add to their incomes. Tourism-related facilities also need to be ensured in the northern areas, which could help local businesses generate Rs1 billion every year. The Pakistani government needs to take practical steps, such as regional and national exhibitions and cultural festivals.
Most importantly, the government should ensure the security and safety of tourists traveling to these areas, such as building infrastructure, rest houses, shops for antique and cultural goods, government and private sector-traveling guides and operators, and cellular operators. The government and the private sector can also arrange cultural and theater shows for tourists. After these developments, urban areas may also see a lower burden of employment generation. Instead, we will see that local people would secure jobs in their vicinity, live and spend their lives close to the family, and do not need to migrate to search for a career in urban areas. The tourism boost is not just necessary for the industry-this is for the overall benefit of the economy.

Limitation and Future Direction
Every research study had limitations. First, this study only collected data from northern areas of Pakistan, and it is suggested to consider different tourist spots for data collection to generalize the results. Second, a cross-sectional design was used in this study, which might have biases in representing the variables. It is suggested to use a longitudinal study design to study the variables and tourist destination image thoroughly. Third, this study follows a soft modeling approach focusing on direct relationships; further studies may include mediating (i.e., service quality, food quality) or moderating variables (i.e., perceived environmental quality). Fourth, due to the COVID-19 situation, foreign respondents are scared, so it is suggested to collect data in equal portions from national and international tourists [86][87][88]. Fifth, the fieldwork period stands out. Therefore, extending the study to all months of the year would be necessary to avoid possible temporal biases. Sixth, we also encourage future academics to use different statistical tools or methodological approaches to learn more about how tourists interact with gastronomy. This will aid future research in presenting a thorough and reliable data analysis of the collected data. Seventh, the development of the Internet as a source of helpful information has transformed the academic research paradigm. Internet reviews are essential data sources. E-surveys may be used in the future to determine people's culinary preferences. Lastly, a more comprehensive picture of tourist culinary experiences is lacking [44,88]. Food experiences and total tourist eating experiences should be prioritized in under-represented food attractions, including food-related museums, food routes, and food and drink trails.
Author Contributions: N.U., J.K. and I.S. contributed to the conception and design of the study. N.U., S.X. and J.K. organized the database. N.U., I.S., S.Z. and Z.K. performed the statistical analysis. N.U., I.S., S.X., Y.H. and Z.K. wrote the first draft of the manuscript. N.U., I.S., S.X., S.Z., Y.H., J.K. and Z.K. wrote the sections of the manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Institutional Review Board Statement: The ethical committee on research (ECR) involving Human Subjects for Iqra National University, Peshawar Pakistan has reviewed the proposal stated above and confirmed that all procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional ethical committee and with the 1964Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Further, formal approval was obtained from the competent authorities of the organizations that participated in the study and all the procedures were approved by the ethical committee on research involving Human Subjects of Iqra National University Peshawar, Pakistan.

Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: On request, the authors will provide the data from this study.

Acknowledgments:
The author wishes to express his appreciation and gratitude to the anonymous reviewers and editors for their insightful comments and suggestions to improve the paper's quality.

Conflicts of Interest:
The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Gastronomic Experience
Quality of the dishes Price Installations Atmosphere of the establishment Innovation and new flavors of the dishes Service and hospitality Experience with the traditional gastronomy Offers genuine gastronomic products

Satisfaction with the destination
How important is gastronomy for you as a destination choice when traveling? How important are gastronomic experiences for you when you choose a destination for your trip?
How important is gastronomy for you in relation with the satisfaction of your trip? My level of satisfaction with the gastronomy has been significant

Motivation
To discover the flavor of the local food To offer a unique opportunity of understanding local culture To be able to transmit my experiences with the local food It allows me to enjoy pleasant moments with family and/or friends To advise other travelers about local gastronomic experiences Nutritive It contains a great quantity of fresh ingredients produced in a local area

Destination Loyalty
I tend to repeat a visit to a tourist destination if I fall in love with it I'll recommend this destination for its gastronomy and local products After my experience, I think I'll come back to northern areas to savor its gastronomy again"