The way we live, the way we travel: generation Z and sustainable consumption in food tourism experiences

Abstract

PurposeThis research aims to examine Generation Z's perspectives of sustainable consumption in food tourism experiences, considering the drivers on food tourists' behavioural intents and basing its analysis on the value-attitude-behaviour model of norm activation theory.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative design, 27 qualitative online surveys were conducted with Generation Z travellers who are also active on social media.FindingsResults show that while they are aware of environmental knowledge and ethical food choices and think that sustainable food consumption improves individual and social wellbeing, the sustainability of food consumption is limited by factors such as time and budget. Also, results reveal that the eating habits of Generation Z people are more sustainable when they eat at home than when they travel. Theoretical and practical implications for food tourism management and marketing are described.Originality/valueWhile food tourism has been largely investigated in recent years, little previous research has focused on the relationships between daily eating behaviours and sustainable consumption in food tourism experiences, especially from the perspective of Generation Z individuals and the influence of social media on individual and social food decisions.

Meatless gastronomy: a threat or an opportunity for tourism development?

“…The promotion of meatless gastronomy will only slightly shift the structure of tourists towards younger tourists. However, this may be quite in contradiction to the Orea-Giner and Fusté-Forné (2023) findings that Generation Z does not eat sustainably while travelling, thus making it unlikely to motivate it to travel. The reason is economic.…”

“…In particular, although Generation Z is aware of sustainability and ethical food choices, their consumption is less sustainable when they are travelling. This is influenced by time and budget (Orea-Giner and Fusté-Forné, 2023). Alternatively, restaurants located in the tourist centres have no need to offer sustainable food (Huang et al.…”

Generation Z's psychology and new‐age technologies: Implications for future research

“…They also consider the environmental impact and carbon footprint of a product before they buy (Bulut et al, 2017). In terms of food consumption, Orea‐Giner and Fusté‐Forné (2023) found that the eating habits of Gen Z consumers are more sustainable when they are at home than when they travel. Despite the existence of some research into Gen Z's sustainability behavior in a variety of contexts (such as tourism and consumption), the research on the “the influence of new‐age technologies on their behavior in this behavior in different settings is limited.” Al‐Sharafi et al (2023) found that using AI products (such as robots, voice assistants, recommender systems, and smart homes) is helping Gen Z to achieve environmental sustainability; for example, through cost savings, waste management, and saving natural resources.…”

Reinforcing sustainable consumption practices through promoting gastronomic tourism: a cross-sectional study from India and Bangladesh

“…UNWTO regard GT as a type of tourism activity that gets characterized by the visitor's exclusive and innovative culinary experiences while travelling to a place of interest, i.e. a tourist destination in particular (Henderson, 2009;Orea-Giner & Fust e-Forn e, 2023). The strong desire for authentic, and local food and beverage experiences, significantly impact travel behaviour (Amore & Roy, 2020) which, in turn, influences why people choose a certain tourist location.…”

“…Efforts are made to promote safe and hygienic food festivals, lending financial support to private enterprises (Bharat Parv and Paryatan Parv), setting guidelines for developing food hubs, setting infrastructure and launching books and articles focusing on regional cuisines of India (Mazumdar, 2020). Although India has a rich history, culture and cuisine, the level of awareness of SCP is far too low (Orea-Giner & Fusté-Forné, 2023) and gastronomy-based tourism with traditional and regional GDs has not received its due representation on the food map in India’s nascent but growing urban tourism sector (Dixit, 2020; Samaddar & Mondal, 2023). That justifies further research in exploring how GT contributes towards the SCP in an emerging nation like India.…”