Iranian Association of Geography and Rural Planning journal of sustainable rural development 25383876 9 2 2025 12 01 Determinants of Rural Tourists’ Intention to Consume Local Food and Its Impact on Host Community Economic Development: Evidence from Shushtar County, 234643 10.22034/jsrd.2025.550569.1228 EN Moslem Savari Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Mollasani, Iran. Naghmeh Hossieni Sarvestani Ph.D student in Tourism Management, Faculty of Tourism, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Shokati Amghani Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, Iran. 0000-0001-5369-5764 Journal Article 2025 10 01 Purpose: Given the growing importance of sustainable rural tourism and the critical role of local foods in supporting the cultural identity, economic vitality, and environmental sustainability, understanding the behavioral drivers and barriers that influence tourists’ local food consumption is of particular importance. Accordingly, the present study aimed to analyze the factors influencing rural tourists’ intention to consume local food in Shushtar County, southwest Iran. The theoretical framework for this research was the Health Belief Model (HBM), which is widely used to explain health-related decision-making. Methods: The statistical population consisted of all tourists visiting the rural areas of Shushtar County. Using Krejcie and Morgan’s sampling formula, a total of 385 respondents were selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, the content validity of which was confirmed by a panel of experts, and its reliability was verified using Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability indices. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and SmartPLS software employing both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Results: The results indicated that the Health Belief Model accounted for 50.9% of the variance in tourists’ intention to consume local food. Among the model’s constructs, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, self-efficacy, and cues to action had positive and statistically significant influences on behavioral intention, while perceived barriers showed no significant effect. <span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Conclusion<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">: This study bridges an existing theoretical gap in the field of food-based rural tourism and offers practical implications for policymakers to promote healthy eating behaviors and strengthen the economic sustainability of local communities.