Elements of Memorable Food, Drink, and Culinary Tourism Experiences

Abstract

This study identified elements leading to memorable food, drink, or culinary experiences while traveling. More than 1,000 respondents in four countries described their most memorable food or drink travel experience. Qualitative analysis found five general elements leading to memorable food travel experiences: food or drink consumed, location/setting, companions, the occasion, and touristic elements (e.g., novelty, authenticity). While these elements were frequently mentioned together, a single element (e.g., extraordinary view or entrée) was sufficient to create a memorable experience. The broad array of memorable experiences ranged from gourmet to simple, intentional to serendipitous. While local or authentic foods were often mentioned, many experiences included foods that were not local. In general, elements leading to memorable culinary tourism experiences were more specific than those for memorable tourism experiences, and a memorable destination was not required for a memorable food/drink experience. Tourism providers can use these elements to better create their destination’s culinary story.

Gastronomy experiential traits and their effects on intentions for recommendation: A fuzzy set approach

“…The significance of food uniqueness is also confirmed by the findings of previous studies (Goolaup & Mossberg, ; Guan, ; Kauppinen‐Räisänen et al, ). Similarly, the importance of food tradition is supported by studies on local food tourism (Jiménez‐Beltrán et al, ; Stone & Migacz, ), whereas the importance of service quality is supported by the findings of other researchers (Ab Karim & Chi, ; Choe & Kim, ; Stone et al, ).…”

“…A review of local food tourism literature suggests that local food attributes can be summarized as falling into the categories of food quality, tradition, uniqueness, and service quality (Chi, Chua, Othman, & Karim, ; Kim & Choe, ; Kim & Eves, ; Verbeke & Poquiviqui López, ). Previous studies have consistently shown that positive perceptions of the quality of local food positively effects future intentions (Adongo, Anuga, & Dayour, ; Chi et al, ; Horng, Liu, Chou, & Tsai, ; Jiménez‐Beltrán, López‐Guzmán, & González Santa Cruz, ; Kim, Choe, & Lee, ; Kim & Eves, ; Mynttinen, Logrén, Särkkä‐Tirkkonen, & Rautiainen, ; Stone et al, ). A study by Kim and Eves () found that the sensory appeal of local food is a significant factor leading to its consumption in tourist destinations.…”

“…The present study focuses on local food at an exotic location, which is different from general food, dining environment, and restaurant service quality in an unfamiliar restaurant. Studies have emphasized the importance of service quality in consuming local food in stimulating future intentions in the international tourism context (Ab Karim & Chi, ; Choe & Kim, ; Mynttinen et al, ; Stone et al, ). Ab Karim and Chi () asserted the importance of restaurant quality, such as friendliness of service personnel in a tourist destination.…”

“…The motivation to enjoy local food in a tourism destination refers to the psychological need to consume local food in an exotic or unfamiliar destination (Choe & Kim, ; Fields, ). Motivation is an expression of the needs relevant to food tourists' actual experiences and evaluations (Stone, Soulard, Migacz, & Wolf, ). Therefore, the core concept of the psychological concern is what tourists “take home” from experiencing local food in a destination.…”

“…A review of the academic literature reveals several gaps in research. First, many food tourism studies have focused on identifying only one outcome, such as food benefit (e.g., Tsai, ), food value (e.g., Meretse, Mykletun, & Einarsen, ), motivation (e.g., Fields, ; Stone et al, ), or preference (e.g., Kivela & Crotts, ). Yet, in order to understand food tourists' psychological complexity, it is necessary to test an integrated model of explanatory concepts or constructs.…”