Quality versus quantity: An assessment of the impact of Michelin-starred restaurants on tourism in Spain

Abstract

The number of internationally recognized Michelin-starred restaurants in a place is a new trend used to measure a tourist destination’s culinary standard. The purpose of this study is to close the gap created by the lack of econometric studies on the tourist attraction of Michelin-starred restaurants, especially in Spain. Panel data methodology is applied to 50 Spanish NUTS-3 regions over a broad time period (2000–2016) to assess the impact of Michelin-starred restaurants on tourism demand from both domestic and foreign tourists. The findings show that restaurant quality is more important than quantity in the gastronomy–tourism relationship and that Michelin-starred restaurants are a strong attraction for foreign tourists. Some policies are suggested, such as the development of Culinary Schools and marketing campaigns to promote haute cuisine tourism.

Identifying the attributes of consumer experience in Michelin-starred restaurants: a text-mining analysis of online customer reviews

“…Michelin-starred restaurants are also considered important tourist attractions (Castillo-Manzano et al. , 2021).…”

“…At the same time, satisfaction with gastronomic experiences influences traveller satisfaction with the tourist destination (Jim enez-Beltr an et al, 2016). Gastronomy that attracts the attention of tourists becomes an important reason for visiting a tourist destination (Castillo-Manzano et al, 2021;Bj€ ork and Kauppinen-R€ ais€ anen, 2016) and making a significant contribution to its economic development (Pezenka and Weismayer, 2020). In particular, the gastronomic experience in a Michelin-starred restaurant may be the main reason for visiting a destination (Bj€ ork and Kauppinen-R€ ais€ anen, 2014).…”

Assessing the tourism attractiveness of World Heritage Sites: The case of Spain

“…Stars is a proxy of gastronomic quality, so a positive relationship is expected (Castillo-Manzano et al, 2020).…”

Does Michelin effect exist? An empirical study on the effects of Michelin stars

“…Many studies have concentrated on the effect of the Michelin Guide on tourism destinations where Michelin-starred restaurants are located. Recent studies have demonstrated that the Guide could even stimulate tourists to visit a particular destination (Castillo-Manzano et al , 2021; Daries et al , 2021). This finding is consistent with those of previous studies that have suggested that food is an effective pull factor for tourism destinations (Marine-Roig et al , 2019; Seyitoğlu and Ivanov, 2020).…”

“…Furthermore, receiving Michelin stars not only represents an accolade in the restaurant industry but also serves to stimulate customer patronage (Harrington et al , 2013). Recent studies have demonstrated that Michelin-starred restaurant can be an effective pull factor for tourism destination (Castillo-Manzano et al , 2021; Daries et al , 2021). In other words, the Michelin Guide is a marketing tool that attracts customers to restaurants (Vinh Hoa and May, 2021).…”