Gastronomic satisfaction of the tourist: empirical study in the Creative City of Popayán, Colombia

Abstract

Currently, gastronomy is a fundamental element for tourists to discover the culture and traditions of a destination. The transcendence granted to a culinary experience in a specific place can become a fundamental motivation for the visit and determine the level of satisfaction reached. In this research, the relationship between tourism and gastronomy is analysed in the city of Popayán, Colombia, a city that has received recognition from UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy. To do this, we examine the influence of different dimensions of culinary motivation in the satisfaction with gastronomy that is experienced during the visit. In addition, we analyse the role of tourist attitude towards culinary experience in gastronomy satisfaction. The methodology used in this research is based on partial least squares structural equation modelling. The main results indicate that the importance of the culinary experience of the tourist in the choice of the destination mediates the effect that culinary motivations exercise on the satisfaction with the gastronomy.

Relationship between Consumer Motivation and the Gastronomic Experience of Olive Oil Tourism in Spain

“…The proposed structural model highlights the positive influence of motivations on the gastronomic experience, supporting previous research that also established this positive influence [38][39][40]. In addition, this positive gastronomic experience results in higher levels of satisfaction on the part of the tourist, which could generate behaviors to bring the tourist back to the destination [40].…”

“…The motivations that lead to one's desire to taste the gastronomy of a certain destination are part of the tourist experience [40]. Gastronomic tourism refers to a typology that is constantly growing [38].…”

“…Gastronomy can be deemed a tourist motivation [23] that causes tourists to move to different destinations to carry out different gastronomic practices [38]. Different studies establish a positive relationship between the motivations of the tourist and the gastronomic experience in a specific destination [38][39][40].…”

Memoria alimentaria, nostalgia y tiempo libre: una aproximación a la oferta culinaria tradicional del Centro Histórico de Quito

“…El sabor de la gastronomía de un lugar se ve fuertemente influenciado por las recetas con profundidad histórica que, en la mayoría de los casos, se conforma como una parte relevante del patrimonio cultural de un destino (Rodríguez-Gutiérrez, 2020). El patrimonio se relaciona con las personas que buscan raíces y esencias propias o aquellas que buscan sabores locales, donde los efectos socioculturales del turismo se reflejan en la vida cotidiana del destino que busca preservar la originalidad (Polat y Aktas, 2020).…”

Gastronomic Motivations and Perceived Value of Foreign Tourists in the City of Oruro (Bolivia): An Analysis Based on Structural Equations

“…The satisfaction of tourists with a specific destination is a complex construct, where the gastronomic experience every day has a greater importance [1]. This issue looms more important, if possible, in places with a prominent cultural heritage, among which are those that enjoy THE UNESCO inscriptions such as World Heritage Site (WHS) or Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).…”