Towards “a sky full of Michelin Stars”

Abstract

Michelin-starred restaurants are not only the greatest exponent of haute cuisine in hospitality industry but also key players in the process of the development of gastronomy, food science, tourism destinations, and even regional economies. Despite the impact of this award, the previous academic literature has not addressed the factors and determinants that enable destinations to accrue Michelin-starred restaurants. This paper intends to be the first study that covers this gap using a rigorous econometric analysis (panel data) focused on the case of the Spanish provinces (NUTS-3). Results suggest that the promotion of international tourism (rather than domestic tourism), high-quality supply (such as PDOs), R&D institutions, luxury sectors and hospitality internship among others, might foster the development of appropriate ecosystems for Michelin-starred restaurants in the hospitality industry. The conclusions seek to serve as a basis not only for the development of managerial implications for the hospitality and tourism managers, including a public policy perspective, given their significant and positive socio-economic externalities.