Local Food Experiences Research Articles

Tourists’ Approach to Local Food

Although there are various studies that explore tourist behavior in certain settings such as travel and accommodation, the impact of local food on tourist experience is often neglected. Eating is a physical need as well as a cultural and social activity. When tourists eat at a destination they not only satisfy their hunger but also experience the local culture and interact with their hosts. Tourists’ demand for local food occur however in different levels of intensity. Some tourists travel solely for gastronomy in the region, some see local food as a by-product of their cultural experiences, and some others rather familiar food when they travel. Therefore there are differences in how tourists’ approach local food consumption. This study aims to analyze the factors effecting local food demand in tourism in order to identify which tourists are interested in local food as an attraction. A questionnaire has been conducted on 105 tourists in order to reveal differences in motivational, demographic and psychological factors based on their local food experiences at various locations in the Old City district of Istanbul. Based on the analysis of data (one way and two way anova) significant differences were found between various demographic and tripographic factors on tourists’ perceptions of local food. The findings of the study can be used on product design and marketing communications of restaurants and destinations with significant tourist flow in order to target the right audience.

Will they tell others to taste? International tourists' experience of Ghanaian cuisines

Memorable local food experiences can influence tourists' intentions to recommend. However, food tourism literature has provided limited insights in this area of scholarship. This paper sought to explore international tourists' experiences regarding local foods in Ghana. The results from a random survey of 654 international tourists indicate that local food experience is multiple ranging from cultural, educational, novelty, hedonism–meaningfulness, and adverse experience. The study also found that tourists' local food experience has a statistically significant influence on their willingness to recommend. The study, therefore, concluded that the provision of memorable experience could be a viable approach for generating referral marketing of local foods. Theoretical and practical implications of the study findings are discussed.

로컬푸드에 대한 가치인식이 구매 및 체험에 미치는 영향

This study was conducted to examine the effects of local food value perception on purchasing and experience in consumers. -test, ANOVA, and linear regression analysis were conducted. The findings are summarized as follows: The most common place for buying agricultural products was `hypermarkets` (41.7%), and the most important factor for purchasing local food was `local government`s certification products` (23.7%). The most important value recognition item for local food was `I think that local food is a high-quality agricultural products`. (3.74 points), followed by `I think that local food have a value of respect for customers` (3.61 points) and `I have a faith for the local food`. (3.61 points) in that order. The main tourism experience activity was `food experience` (49.0%), and information source of local food experience tourism was `mass media (TV, newspapers, etc.)` (37.3%). As age increased, experience of local food also increased. The most effectual value recognition item for purchasing local food was `I think that local food have a value of respect for customers`. The most effectual value recognition item for increasing intake experience of local food was `I think that the local food is high-quality agricultural products`.

Culinary-gastronomic tourism – a search for local food experiences

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to focus on travellers’ perceptions of culinary-gastronomic sensations as experiences and how these relate to the locality. The aim of the study is to explore the factors that contribute to travellers’ culinary-gastronomic dining experiences with an emphasis on the local food markets. Design/methodology/approach – One-hundred and fifty-eight prospective travelers at an annual fair in Helsinki completed a self-administered survey questionnaire. On the questionnaire, the respondents were asked to rate the importance of 17 items related to eating and food experiences when deciding on a destination for their next leisure trip. Findings – The findings reveal a frequency distribution of the sample characteristics and travel behavior, the respondents’ use of food and eating experiences as evaluative criteria when choosing travel destinations and latent factors of food and eating experiences. Based on an explorative factor analysis using a varimax abstraction method, the study concludes that eating and food experiences are influenced by the overall service (i.e. the food and where it is served and the dining setting and how it is served). The factors show that culinary-gastronomic food experiences are founded on local, original and authentic food that represents the local food culture. Practical implications – The study attempts to provide insights into aspects to consider for promotional activities related to local food and, ultimately, as a means for destination branding. The Finnish sample has a casual attitude to food, where new but also rather mundane experiences are sought. Accordingly, slow food preparation and atmospherics contribute to local food experiences that may lure travelers to revisit certain locations. Originality/value – Local food as a means of culinary-gastronomic sensations deserves scholarly attention, as many questions related to its consumption by tourists remain unanswered. Accordingly, the topic of the current study is truly timely and this research contributes by studying a rather unchartered issue.

Situating the ‘alternative’ within the ‘conventional’ – local food experiences from the East Riding of Yorkshire, UK

Policy makers rarely feature in research into alternative and local food systems (ALFS), yet are often regarded as central actors in supporting such local food systems, sometimes as part of wider rural development strategies. Furthermore, what ‘local’ actually means has long been debated in the alternative food networks literature, with the consensus that the term is contested and defies definition. This paper explores discursive constructions of ‘local’ food, drawing on in-depth interviews with farmers, local food businesses, consumers and policy makers in East Yorkshire. The paper argues that the concept of local food is contextualised and refracted through the people and places in which food is produced and consumed. It illustrates the complexities involved in understanding, and making sense of, local food networks and their relationship with conventional food systems.The paper has two core concerns. The first is to challenge conceptualisations of local food as linked only to non-intensive agricultural regions. The second attends to situating food production and consumption within local contexts to understand the diverse and relational interpretations of the ‘local’ which policy makers, businesses and consumers have with regard to food. The paper concludes that alternative and local food systems interact with the conventional food system in complex and multiple ways, underlining that it is not a case of ‘either/or’, but that food production and consumption are heterogeneous and refracted through specific places.

The Impact of Food Quality on Foodservice Satisfaction at International Conferences

Planners of international conferences are advised to consider the conference-specific demands of the attendees when developing food service schemes. The main objective of this study is to identify the key food factors that influence on foodservice satisfaction at international conferences. This study uses menu selection, food content quality, conference-specific characteristics, and local food experience as the four constructs for the evaluation of international conference food quality. The sample data were collected via an online survey; 296 of which were valid. With the exception of conference-specific characteristics, all food quality constructs demonstrated a significant positive impact on overall food service contentment.

Building a model of local food consumption on trips and holidays: A grounded theory approach

This study examines the factors influencing consumption of local food and beverages in destinations. The study used grounded theory to obtain insight into the local food experiences though interviews with 20 individuals and used these data to propose a model of local food consumption. The model constitutes three categories: ‘motivational factors’ (i.e. exciting experience, escape from routine, health concern, learning knowledge, authentic experience, togetherness, prestige, sensory appeal, and physical environment); ‘demographic factors’ (i.e. gender, age, and education); and ‘physiological factors’ (i.e. food neophilia and food neophobia). This study established an in-depth understanding of consumption of local food in destinations.