Food tourism experience and changing destination foodscape: An exploratory study of an emerging food destination

Abstract

This research investigates how and the extent to which co-creation activities of food tourism in the context of the commercial tourism sector shape and influence the foodscape in an emerging food tourism destination. An exploratory qualitative study conducted in Yogyakarta, Indonesia discovers how and where co-creative food activities take place through the mode of interaction, customisation, and co-production. Moreover, this research uncovers how the act of negotiation and the creation of food experiences co-created by tourists and suppliers contributes to the evolving destination foodscape. These processes contribute to the invention of new food offerings; the inclusion of tourists in the local food space; and the expansion of the local gastronomic horizon. This research sheds light on our limited understanding of destination foodscapes in relation to commercial food tourism activities, providing implications for gastronomic destination management, especially for emerging Asian gastronomic destinations.