Building Food-Based Destination Image in Meishan City: Inspirations from Korean Kimchi

Abstract

Meishan is a city in Sichuan, China. There is a traditional local food called Dongpo Kimchi. Compared with other kimchi, its production and sales are at the leading level in China, but its brand awareness in the international market is far less than that of Korean kimchi, which has a high international reputation and effectively drives the development of the Korean tourism industry. Amid the growing popularity of food tourism, many national and local governments have been developing food tourism-centred destination management. Meishan City attaches great importance to the tourism industry and is trying to build a food-based destination image. Employing qualitative research methods, this article analyses media information and public statistics related to the marketing of Korean kimchi, and conducts in-depth interviews with experts. The research conclusions are expected to provide inspirations for Meishan City to promote Dongpo Kimchi and build a food-based tourist destination image.