1. Introduction
Global consumption patterns are shifting from functional to experiential priorities. Within this transition, food, which combines intense sensory stimulation, cultural symbolism, and emotional arousal, has become central to tourism [
1]. The rise of the experience economy encourages tourists to move from merely “seeing the scenery” to “feeling the setting,” seeking immersive, affective and personalised journeys. Consequently, the overall quality of the tourism experience is a critical driver of destination choice, satisfaction and future behaviour [
2]. More recently, scholars have argued that such experience quality also underpins sustainable destination appeal, a concept that links visitor well-being with the long-term resilience of host communities. Understanding and enhancing the quality of tourist experiences is therefore integral to sustainability, as well-managed and positive encounters can foster respect for local culture and the natural environment, encouraging responsible visitor behaviour that supports SDG 11 and SDG 12.
Among the many forms of tourism experience, food encounters possess a unique allure [
3]. Higher living standards and stronger aesthetic aspirations have transformed food from basic sustenance into a medium for meaning-making, cultural participation and sensory pleasure [
4]. Modern tourists wish not only to taste local flavours but also to understand history, customs and lifestyles through food, thereby achieving an authentic sense of cultural identity [
5]. These embodied encounters can foster responsible consumption and community resilience, both of which are integral to the environmental, socio-cultural and economic pillars of sustainability. Drawing on a survey of gastronomic tourists, this study examines the factors influencing their dining experiences, with the aim of informing tourism planning that actively stimulates sensory engagement to enhance overall visitor experience quality.
Food tourism is inherently multisensory and interactive. While dining, tourists engage with dishes and their cultural symbols through sight, smell, taste, and touch, co-creating an overall impression of place. Empirical evidence shows that food experiences influence tourist satisfaction, place identity and revisit intention, and they form a vivid component of travel memories [
6,
7]. However, two key gaps remain. First, most studies continue to prioritise marketing-oriented outcomes, such as destination branding and revisit intention [
8,
9], rather than examining the sequential experiential processes through which culinary encounters generate sustainable value. Second, limited research has theorised or empirically tested how multisensory, embodied food experiences enhance perceptions of sustainable destination appeal. Understanding this micro-level mechanism is essential for achieving balanced economic, socio-cultural, and environmental benefits. Addressing these gaps, the present study adopts an embodied cognition perspective to trace the continuous interaction among food, the human body, and the surrounding environment throughout the tourist journey.
Embodied cognition theory posits that cognition does not occur solely within the brain but is deeply rooted in bodily actions, sensory feedback, and interactions with the surrounding environment [
10]. This perspective is particularly well-suited to examining how multisensory gastronomic experiences can enhance the appeal of sustainable tourism destinations. In tourism contexts, sensory elements emerge through the dynamic interplay of the body, situational factors, and cultural context, exerting a strong influence on tourists’ perceptions and evaluations of gastronomic experiences [
11]. Drawing on this framework, the present study aims to identify the core factors shaping the quality of gastronomic tourism experiences, with a particular focus on strengthening sustainable destination appeal. Using Yangzhou, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, as the case site, 25 gastronomic tourists were interviewed in depth, and the transcripts were analysed using grounded theory. From an embodiment perspective, this study enriches scholarly understanding of gastronomic tourism by systematically mapping the sensory factors that influence tourists’ experiences and deepening insight into how high-quality gastronomic encounters are generated. Distinct from prior research that emphasises macro-level determinants, this study highlights the influence of tourists’ embodied practices at the micro level. Practically, the findings provide actionable guidance for practitioners in designing gastronomic spaces and services that enhance visitor satisfaction while advancing sustainable development goals.
4. Results
This study applied grounded theory to analyse the interview data and uncover the underlying structure of participant experiences. Following established coding procedures, NVivo 12.0 software was used to conduct a systematic three-stage process comprising open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. This structured approach enabled the researchers to extract deeper meanings from the qualitative material. The findings indicate that positive gastronomic tourism experiences are primarily composed of four dimensions: embodied experience, sensory stimulation, situational performance, and environmental perception. These dimensions are elaborated in the following sections.
4.1. Open Coding
Open coding plays a key role in transforming and interpreting raw material. At this stage, the researchers segmented and reconstructed the interview text with careful attention to context. Three researchers independently analysed the transcripts through repeated reading, examining the data line by line, sentence by sentence, and paragraph by paragraph to identify relevant concepts and expressions. After completing the coding, the researchers discussed the results, consulted with experts, and finalised the concepts and their groupings.
Following the rigorous procedures of open coding, several rounds of detailed analysis and refinement were conducted on the interview data from all twenty-five participants. This process led to the identification of forty-eight distinct and meaningful concepts, which were then organised into eighteen basic categories through carefully constructed thematic groupings. From the inductive analysis of the transcripts, factors such as travel motivation and experiential content were extracted, echoing the finding of Moreno-Lobato et al. (2023) that aromas are linked to tourists’ emotions, intentions, and memory responses [
21]. Drawing on this perspective, similar concepts were distinguished and classified into visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, and gustatory dimensions. In addition, some statements could not be incorporated into these sensory categories, such as comments on travel motivation or evaluations of tourism experiences. As travel motivation and tourism experience have received extensive scholarly attention [
47,
48], they were classified as independent categories in this study. Furthermore, eleven other concepts appeared in the transcripts, including timing preferences, price sensitivity, hygiene awareness, embodied actions, and group interaction, all of which have been addressed in prior research [
49]. These were therefore treated as separate categories.
The final set of categories includes the following: travel motivation, tourism experience, perceptions of others, timing preferences, price sensitivity, perceived distance, vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch, ambient atmosphere, hygiene awareness, embodied actions, group interaction, privacy concerns, food perception, and equipment perception. For example, respondent A12 remarked: “In our profession, we can only travel during the winter and summer holidays. The rest of the time is completely filled with teaching and dealing with student issues, leaving no time at all.” Based on the respondent’s identity as a teacher, this statement was coded under timing preferences. Respondent A23 stated: “I am a food blogger and enjoy collecting food-related content. Huaiyang cuisine is particularly beautiful, and its plating is perfect for the camera. I think beautiful food always captures people’s attention.” This excerpt was coded under vision, as it emphasises the visual appeal of Huaiyang cuisine.
Due to space limitations, only a part of the open coding results is presented here. Selected examples of open coding are shown in
Table 2.
4.2. Axial Coding
Based on the results of the open coding, we proceeded to axial coding. This stage involves organising and regrouping the initial concepts derived from interviews in order to identify core themes. Concepts are compared and linked according to their temporal order, contextual relevance, and semantic connections. As the interviews progressed and axial coding was refined through multiple iterations, the relationships among categories became clearer. Ultimately, four major thematic domains were identified: embodied experience, sensory stimulation, situated embodiment, and environmental perception.
Specifically, the dimension of embodied experience refers to tourists’ impressions of Huaiyang cuisine, encompassing their travel motivations, prior experiences, and social cognition. The sensory stimulation dimension relates to sensory inputs from both food and the surrounding environment, including auditory, gustatory, and olfactory stimuli, bodily actions, and ambient atmosphere. The embodied situation dimension concerns the interactive behaviours and social context in which tourists participate during the trip, covering activity engagement, interpersonal interaction, time arrangements, spatial facilities, and awareness of cost. Environmental perception reflects tourists’ overall evaluation of facilities, hygiene, and spatial privacy, including assessments of cleanliness, food provision, and privacy of space. From the perspective of embodied experience, these dimensions span the pre-decision stage, the experience itself, and the subsequent evaluation process. These domains represent key structural elements through which tourists construct food-related experiences. The structure of axial coding and the connections between categories are illustrated in
Table 3.
4.3. Selective Coding
The primary task of selective coding is to refine and articulate the relationships among categories after identifying the core domains, ultimately developing a coherent storyline. Through careful analysis and repeated validation of the interview materials, the core category that emerged from the data was “quality of food tourism experience”. This concept occupies a central position in the coding structure and integrates multiple thematic areas.
The storyline developed from this structure clearly demonstrates that high-quality food tourism experiences are shaped by the interplay of embodied experience, sensory stimulation, environmental perception, and situated embodiment. According to embodied experience theory, perception, emotion, and cognition are not solely dependent on abstract brain processes but are deeply rooted in bodily experience, sensory systems, and interaction with the environment [
50]. In this study, it is proposed that tourists’ understanding of destination cuisine is informed by promotional media, recommendations from friends, and past travel experiences. At this initial stage, tourists enter an embodied experience process, actively seeking information about local gastronomy and forming visual and cognitive impressions of Huaiyang cuisine. Influenced by this information, they make travel decisions and, through bodily presence, encounter the appeal of Huaiyang cuisine. This process is particularly evident in auditory, gustatory, olfactory, and kinaesthetic dimensions. It is noteworthy that when tourists receive sensory stimulation, they also receive informational stimuli as part of the embodied experience process. Moreover, because the situations in gastronomic tourism are concrete and context-specific, they reflect tourists’ detailed travel arrangements, including participation in activities, interpersonal interaction, and time management. Such tourism situations, which require bodily presence, are crucial in shaping the overall experience. Within specific spatial settings, tourists engage bodily with the appeal of Huaiyang cuisine and develop concrete evaluative judgments.
These dimensions work together dynamically to influence how tourists evaluate and construct meaning from their food-related encounters. On this basis, this study proposes a theoretical framework centred on embodied experience, which identifies the key elements that affect the quality of food tourism. As shown in
Figure 1, the visual model offers a conceptual interpretation of the research findings, vividly illustrating the dynamic interactions among the identified components.
4.4. Theoretical Saturation Test
To ensure the completeness of the category system and the stability of the emerging theoretical framework, this study followed the principle of simultaneous sampling and analysis throughout the data collection and coding process. Theoretical saturation was continuously evaluated as part of this iterative strategy. After completing open and axial coding for the first sixteen interviewees, the research team observed that most of the categories had stabilised. New data largely repeated or enriched existing concepts without introducing fundamentally new categories or triggering structural changes. Guest et al. (2006), in their discussion on the number of interview transcripts required, argued on the basis of their own research that theoretical saturation can occur after as few as twelve interviews [
46]. The sample size required to achieve theoretical saturation in this study was related to the respondents’ familiarity with Huaiyang cuisine. In the first sixteen interview transcripts, the respondents provided detailed accounts of their gastronomic decision-making processes and experiences.
To further verify whether saturation had truly been achieved, interviews from the remaining nine participants were subjected to the same depth of analysis and preliminary coding. The results showed that the information provided by participants seventeen through twenty-five could all be absorbed into the existing category system. No new first-order concepts or higher-level themes emerged. This indicated that the major conceptual domains had been sufficiently covered and that the theoretical structure was both comprehensive and stable.
For example, one participant (Interviewee 17) described an experience of arriving early in the morning to avoid queues at a popular restaurant. Their account detailed a progression from waiting to food tasting to cultural identification. The key elements of this experience, including freshness, embodied dining behaviours, and cultural connection, had already been captured and classified in earlier rounds of coding. As Interviewee A17 stated, “We went to Queyuan early in the morning to queue. This restaurant is extremely popular, and the steamed buns are very fresh. When they were served, the steam rising from them instantly gave us an appetite.” Similarly, Interviewee A19 remarked: “Having Yangzhou morning tea is both lively and quiet. It is lively because the tea house we visited had performances, so waiting was not boring. It is quiet because once we went inside to eat, it felt as if the outside noise was completely shut out. It was wonderful.” These accounts reinforced the adequacy of the category system and confirmed that no novel insights emerged beyond its existing scope.
Therefore, based on the analysis of the interview transcripts from participants 17 to 25, the researchers found no concepts or categories beyond those identified during open coding. Following discussion, the research team concluded that theoretical saturation had been achieved. While the subsequent data enriched the diversity and explanatory depth of the findings, they did not challenge or alter the main structure of the theoretical framework. This outcome supports the overall reliability and robustness of the study’s theoretical construction.
5. Findings and Discussion
Drawing on interviews with 25 food tourists, this study identifies four inter-locking dimensions that shape the quality of gastronomic travel: embodied experience, sensory stimulation, situated embodiment, and environmental perception. Together, these dimensions explain how multisensory encounters translate into both visitor satisfaction and sustainable destination appeal. The subsections below elaborate each dimension.
5.1. Embodied Experience
Tourists’ behavioural decision-making is often influenced by bodily memory, which integrates bodily experience, sensory systems, and the environment [
50]. This influence typically occurs at the very beginning of the decision-making process. In the planning stage of a culinary trip, travellers activate embodied cognition by retrieving memories that have settled in the body through earlier encounters with food. These memories give rise to two contrasting yet complementary travel motivations. Some visitors arrive with a clear purpose, determined to taste once more the dishes that shaped their childhood or to tick renowned specialties off a carefully prepared list. Others embrace a spirit of spontaneity, letting social media posts or a friend’s casual recommendation guide them to whatever flavours appear around the next corner.
Once in Yangzhou, the journey shifts from intention to tourism experience. Tourists’ gastronomic experiences require their bodily presence. This process aligns with the description of embodied theory by Li Xiaodan et al. (2018), which holds that individuals’ understanding of the world is grounded in interaction between the body and the environment, and that this process is inherently concrete [
51]. Travellers wander through markets and teahouses in search of local specialties such as Three Diced Bun or Lion’s Head Meatball, and they delight in tasting signature dishes that locals praise as the soul of Huaiyang cuisine. The act of sampling these foods is never a simple sensory event. Each bite carries the weight of earlier experiences, inviting instant comparison with food enjoyed in other cities or on previous visits to Yangzhou.
Others’ perceptions of a destination’s cuisine can further influence tourists’ decisions. This process arises through interactions between tourists and others and is articulated within specific situational contexts. This comparative habit is reinforced by the perceptions of others. Diners recall television programmes, influencer videos, and friends’ stories, all of which create mental images that travel with them. These images colour expectation, shape emotional engagement, and often decide where they eventually sit down to eat. Positive narratives stir curiosity and raise anticipation, whereas warnings about tourist traps can trigger caution.
Expectation building is also guided by visual stimulation. Online photographs that capture bubbling broths, rhythmic stirring, and the vivid colours of garnishes set clear reference points long before the first meal begins. At the stall or table, tourists watch steam rise and oil shimmer, then notice how careful plating and balanced colour composition turn an ordinary bowl into an edible work of art. The visual scene primes other senses and contributes to an early judgement of quality. Tourists’ impressions formed through social media are transformed during their journeys into actual experiential content, shifting from a single visual perception to an embodied experience that integrates sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, thereby enhancing the quality of their perceptions. The following section further elaborates on tourists’ embodied experiences through interview evidence.
“I visited Yangzhou with my parents when I was still in primary school. I still remember the Three Diced Bun, the boiled dried tofu, and the old-style goose. Now that I am grown up, I want to come back and taste those childhood flavours again.”
(Interviewee A9)
“As someone who has experienced the food culture of Shunde, another UNESCO City of Gastronomy, I am naturally curious about how Yangzhou cuisine compares. I want to see what makes Yangzhou food special and how it differs from other food capitals.”
(Interviewee A15)
Throughout the trip, visitors continually match the real with the imagined, contrasting present flavours with those stored in memory or promoted online. A favourable match awakens nostalgia, heightens satisfaction, and increases the likelihood that visitors will praise Yangzhou to others. A mismatch, however, can produce disappointment and prompt immediate critique. Tourists’ comparative behaviour is essentially a combination of bodily memory and present experience. By comparing current sensations with past experiences, they generate behavioural expressions that reflect a dynamic coordination of body, space, and culture [
42].
“Inspired by the line Misty March leads you to Yangzhou, we came to see the famous spring scenery. Once there, we found the old town packed, the meal near Wenchang Pavilion overpriced and ordinary, and the staff indifferent. The experience was far worse than our recent food trip to Zibo, and I lost much of my fondness for Yangzhou on the spot.”
(Interviewee A24)
These emotional swings matter because they govern return intention, word of mouth, and the broader reputation of the destination. Whether rooted in purposeful exploration, sparked by spontaneous discovery, moulded by the voices of others, or triggered by a striking visual scene, travellers’ embodied experience sets the tone for the entire culinary journey and plays a decisive role in Yangzhou’s sustainable appeal as a city of gastronomy.
Based on the above analysis of interview data, this study argues that embodied experience plays an important role in shaping positive gastronomic experiences for tourists. Such embodied experiences influence tourist behaviour through emotional feedback mechanisms. Feelings of pleasure or disappointment are stored not only at the cognitive level but also as lasting imprints in bodily memory, thereby affecting revisit intentions and word-of-mouth communication. Moreover, the experiential content generated through visual and cognitive processes continues to influence tourists’ sensations of sensory stimulation and ultimately shapes their behaviour.
5.2. Sensory Stimulation
A food-focused journey in Yangzhou awakens every sense and places the body at the centre of experience. Interview data show that four kinds of sensory input, namely sound, smell, taste and movement, work together to shape emotional responses, guide judgments of quality, and influence perceptions of the city’s commitment to responsible hospitality. Bodily perception is a core dimension in the formation of experiences [
52]. This section focuses on the influence of sensory factors, including sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, on the content of tourists’ gastronomic experiences.
Sound. Many participants began their descriptions with what they heard. Some recalled the rhythmic chatter of woks, the low murmur of conversation, and the distant chorus of cicadas that drifts across garden courtyards at dusk. These gentle layers of sound encouraged relaxation and prepared the palate for new flavours. Others reported sharp interruptions. A common complaint involved amplified DJ music that filled small dining rooms and blocked conversation.
“While we were eating, loud pop music suddenly started. It felt like noise pollution and spoiled the mood,” said Interviewee A19.
When restaurants manage volume and choose calm melodies, visitors feel that hosts respect both personal comfort and the wider acoustic environment. Such care strengthens the impression that Yangzhou values quality of life, a principle consistent with sustainable urban living.
Smell. The first breath inside a venue sets the stage. Interviewee A22 noted that “the moment I step across the threshold I judge the place by its smell.” A light steam scented with ginger or the fresh aroma of chopped scallion signals clean kitchens and recent preparation. These natural aromas invite diners to sit and explore the menu. By contrast, lingering fumes, stale oil, or unfamiliar chemical odours push guests away before they even order. Operators who maintain good ventilation not only improve comfort but also reduce particulate emissions, a small yet visible contribution to public health and environmental stewardship.
Taste. Visitors evaluate dishes through three indicators: temperature, freshness, and authenticity. Families traveling with children or older relatives praised restaurants that served soup at an ideal heat and brought steamed buns straight from the basket, still moist and plump. Warmth and freshness conveyed safety and care, qualities that outweigh even a strict match with traditional recipes. Authentic flavour still matters. Travelers compared Huaiyang classics to versions they had tasted elsewhere and celebrated subtle sweetness, delicate seasoning, and a mouthfeel described as “light but layered.” When chefs source local produce, explain seasonal choices, and use minimal oil, diners read these acts as proof that culinary tradition and environmental responsibility can blend.
Movement and transition. Eating in Yangzhou is rarely confined to one static setting. Tourists often begin with breakfast congee at a street stall, stroll through market alleys where vendors toss noodles in iron woks, then cross a stone bridge to enjoy tea at a canal-side pavilion. Interviewee A6 described how walking between venues let aromas drift, sights change, and anticipation rise: “The constant shift in scenery kept me alert and made the flavours more vivid.” Physical movement also reduces reliance on motor vehicles, aligns with the city’s pedestrian-friendly planning, and supports cleaner air in historic districts.
Taken together, the four kinds of sensory stimulation create a multilayered tapestry that defines multisensory gastronomy. Well-balanced soundscapes, fresh and inviting aromas, properly warmed dishes made from local ingredients, and the gentle rhythm of walking all contribute to personal pleasure and to a broader sense that Yangzhou manages its culinary heritage with environmental and social care. This multisensory embodied integration mechanism shapes the quality of individual gastronomic experiences and influences perceptions of the destination’s sustainable image. When visitors notice such alignment between sensory delight and sustainability practice, they are more inclined to rate the destination highly, share positive stories, and plan a return visit.
Through bodily presence, tourists receive and process various sensory inputs, including auditory, olfactory, and gustatory stimuli. These sensory experiences do not exist in isolation but are interconnected through bodily memory. Sensory stimulation also interacts closely with environmental contexts, as tourists’ behaviours in specific spaces can intensify the strength of sensory impressions. This embodied process is continuously accompanied by cognitive evaluation, in which tourists compare their immediate bodily sensations with previous gastronomic memories and social expectations to form an overall quality judgement. Thus, sensory stimulation serves as the core link connecting experience, environmental interaction, and cognitive appraisal. The different dimensions are organically integrated through bodily practice, collectively constructing a complete gastronomic tourism experience.
5.3. Environmental Perception
For food tourists, sensory pleasure is inseparable from the space in which it unfolds. Interviews show that visitors judge Yangzhou’s culinary settings through four intertwined factors: the way food is presented, the convenience and style of facilities, the standard of cleanliness, and the balance between cost and value. Within embodied theory, tourists’ perceptions of the environment are often concrete and detailed, arising from sensory engagement. These environmental impressions interact with sensory stimulation, embodied experience, and environmental evaluation, ultimately influencing tourist behaviour. Specific findings on these points are presented below.
Food presentation and variety. Guests repeatedly stated that portion size, menu diversity, and the speed at which new dishes reach the table shape first impressions even more than flavour.
Interviewee A24: “The portion size, selection, and serving speed were good, but the presentation was messy. The food arrived on the table without any arrangement and that weakened the whole experience. “A neatly plated dish signals care from the chef and invites diners to explore local flavours with curiosity rather than caution.
Facility ambience and privacy. Visitors praised interiors that blend Jiangnan architectural motifs with modern comfort. At the same time, privacy emerged as an important concern. Couples and family groups felt most at ease when restaurants offered curtained booths, small loft rooms, or quiet mezzanines.
Interviewee A11: “We chose the upstairs loft so we could talk without other tables listening. It felt thoughtful and made us stay longer. “Such options enhance comfort and encourage extended visits, demonstrating respect for personal space while maintaining cultural character.
Cleanliness and hygiene. A spotless environment reassures guests about food safety and reflects the city’s pride in its culinary heritage. Whether the venue is a street stall or a garden restaurant, clear preparation zones, tidy counters, and regularly wiped tables raise trust and elevate the overall journey. Operators who keep visible standards also contribute to public health and present Yangzhou as a conscientious gastronomic destination.
Pricing and perceived value. Cost shapes emotional response, especially among younger travellers who track expenses on mobile apps.
Interviewee A6: “I search on Xiaohongshu to check prices. If a snack is over my budget, I skip it, no matter how famous it is. The experience has to match the price.” When prices align with quality, visitors feel respected and are more likely to share positive stories after they return home.
In sum, food tourists build an environmental judgment that is as layered as the dishes they taste. Appealing presentation, culturally rich yet private dining spaces, strict hygiene, and fair prices interact to create a climate of trust. This climate not only heightens personal satisfaction but also signals that Yangzhou balances economic vitality, cultural preservation, and public wellbeing, thereby reinforcing its identity as a sustainable destination of gastronomy.
Environmental perception plays a critical mediating role in gastronomic tourism experiences, interacting with embodied experience, sensory stimulation, and environmental appraisal. Specifically, elements such as food presentation, facility ambience, architectural style, hygiene conditions, and pricing strategies do not exist in isolation; rather, they collectively constitute the content of tourists’ environmental perception. When tourists receive environmental stimuli, they simultaneously generate cognitive and emotional evaluations, both of which are essential for enhancing the quality of their gastronomic experiences.
5.4. Situated Embodiment
Immersive gastronomy invites tourists to move through time and space in ways that differ from daily routine. The interviews reveal five situational factors that shape this embodied engagement: the nature of activities, interaction with other people, timing, perception of facilities, and sensitivity to price.
Embodied activities. Visitors plunge into a range of hands-on events. Some join dumpling-folding workshops in the morning market, while others attend evening lantern festivals where chefs demonstrate knife skills. Leisurely walks along Slender West Lake and spontaneous shopping for local pickles add physical variety that keeps the body alert and the mind curious.
Interviewee A12: “I spent the afternoon at the Huaiyang Food Festival, tasting small bites and watching live cooking. It felt like learning with my whole body, not just my eyes.”
Group interaction. Encounters with companions, service staff, and strangers add social texture. Many travellers praised waiters who explained dish history in detail, while brief chats with nearby diners led to unexpected recommendations.
Interviewee A8: “The chef stepped out to ask how we liked the broth. That personal touch made the meal special.”
Timing preference. Tourists choose specific hours to match bodily rhythm or logistical limits. Early risers favour the six-o-clock congee stalls, when steam curls into the cool air. Others plan meals around ticketed tours or closing times, mindful that popular restaurants sell out signature dishes by mid-afternoon. Tight itineraries can heighten anticipation but may also produce stress when queues are long.
Perception of facilities. The quality, quantity, and placement of amenities shape comfort. Clean rest rooms near food courts, shaded seating beside canals, and clear directional signs support longer stays. Crowded alleys without resting spots, by contrast, shorten visits and reduce spending.
Price sensitivity. Regional cost advantage draws many domestic tourists, yet hidden charges can tarnish goodwill.
Interviewee A17: “A two-yuan tea fee is fine. Extra service fees that appear without notice feel dishonest.”
Value for money thus hinges on transparent pricing as much as on the taste of a dish.
These situational elements interact with embodied experience, sensory stimulation, and environmental perception to create a layered field of action. When events are diverse, staff are welcoming, timing is convenient, facilities are well-kept, and prices are fair, the destination signals respect for both visitor wellbeing and community resources. This alignment deepens enjoyment and strengthens Yangzhou’s standing as a sustainable city of gastronomy.
Within the framework of embodied cognition theory, tourists’ gastronomic experiences in Yangzhou exhibit a multidimensional and deeply integrated character. A high-quality environment enhances the comfort of bodily engagement, while specific visual and media settings intensify sensory stimulation. Moreover, environmental stimuli such as social interaction strengthen tourists’ perceptions of environmental quality. This multidimensional interaction ultimately fosters the combined influence of the body, environment, and social context, elevating the gastronomic experience beyond simple gustatory enjoyment to one enriched with cultural understanding, emotional resonance, and lasting bodily memory.
7. Conclusions and Implications
7.1. Conclusions
This study used Yangzhou, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, as a living laboratory and drew on interviews with twenty-five food tourists to explore how culinary experiences may acquire meaning through multisensory engagement. The findings suggest that embodied theory has strong applicability in the context of gastronomic tourism. Tourists’ evaluations of their experiences appear to be shaped not by isolated sensory impressions, but by the integrated interaction of the body with place, memory, and cultural narratives. This highlights the potential role of bodily presence in fostering positive gastronomic experiences, with food tourists using their embodied engagement as a medium to appreciate the appeal of a destination’s cuisine and environment.
The analysis points to four interrelated factors that together may influence perceived quality. Embodied experience grows from earlier culinary memories and provides a cognitive springboard for new encounters. Sensory stimulation operates through sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, potentially deepening emotion and reinforcing place-based memories. Situated embodiment refers to the rhythm of movement through markets and festivals and to social exchanges with companions, staff, and other visitors. Environmental perception covers judgements about food presentation, facility comfort, hygiene, and price fairness, serving as the hinge that connects the other three elements.
When neat plating, fresh aromas, warm service, and transparent pricing align, visitors may interpret these as signs that the city respects both its guests and its own resources. Such alignment can contribute to positive word of mouth and intentions to revisit, thereby supporting aspects of economic, cultural, and environmental resilience. However, interviews also indicate uneven service standards, limited innovation in culinary products, and an underuse of storytelling about Huaiyang heritage.
Addressing these issues may involve matching products to diverse visitor motives, enriching multisensory design without overwhelming guests, maintaining visible hygiene standards, offering private seating for those who value seclusion, and ensuring transparent pricing that eliminates hidden charges. Equally important is the integration of sustainability practices such as local sourcing, waste reduction, and pedestrian-friendly culinary routes into the visitor narrative so that sensory enjoyment and responsible consumption appear as complementary aspects of the same experience. By grounding management decisions in travellers’ embodied perceptions and linking pleasure to visible care, Yangzhou may further strengthen its image as a sustainable destination for gastronomy.
7.2. Theoretical Implications
As one of the fastest-growing niches in tourism, food-focused travel may challenge the conceptual boundaries of traditional experience frameworks. Unlike rural sightseeing, heritage tours, or adventure trips, gastronomic journeys require full sensory engagement and deep immersion. By introducing embodied cognition into this setting, the present study suggests that it can extend and refine the theory in a sector often dominated by the logics of the experience economy.
Tourism scholarship has long centred on cognitive appraisals of destination attributes and has often treated the body as a passive receiver of stimuli. Embodied cognition challenges this view by asserting that perception and physical action are inseparable, and that meaning emerges through the body’s continuous dialogue with its surroundings. In tourism contexts, tourists use their bodies as mediums to experience the appeal of food, valuing not only its taste but also its visual presentation and aroma [
7]. This perspective is consistent with the findings of Moreno-Lobato et al. (2023), which highlight the role of food aromas in shaping tourists’ experiences [
21].
Applying this perspective to empirical data from Yangzhou indicates that experience quality may rest on four interacting dimensions: embodied experience, sensory stimulation, situated embodiment, and environmental perception. Theoretical implication: Among these, environmental perception appears to mediate the influence of memory, multisensory input, and situational context on overall evaluation, a mechanism that conventional cognition-based models tend to overlook. This finding also aligns with the description of the relationship between experience and memory in the work of Tung and Ritchie (2011) [
53]. Through the lens of embodied theory, this study proposes and examines a unified framework that integrates these four dimensions, revealing the dynamic interaction mechanisms among them. It suggests that the formative process of sensory gastronomic experiences is mediated by the body, thereby addressing limitations in traditional cognition-based models.
This study further integrates sustainability into the embodiment framework. The findings suggest that when sensory pleasure aligns with visible practices of hygiene, safety, and price transparency, visitors may form stronger emotional bonds and express a greater willingness to return, behaviours that can contribute to economic, cultural, and environmental resilience. This observation echoes the findings of Yang et al. (2024), which show that tourists with high-quality experiences are more likely to generate positive emotions [
55]. Practical implication: This insight links embodied enjoyment to pro-environmental behavioural intention and suggests a potential pathway for future interdisciplinary research on how multisensory tourism experiences can foster responsible consumption and enhance sustainable destination appeal.
7.3. Practical Implications
Food-oriented travel now plays an important role in shaping urban identity and stimulating local economies, and its spatial flexibility allows it to align with broader national programmes such as integrated destination planning and rural revitalisation through tourism. As guests increasingly demand personalised, high-quality, and immersive experiences, destination managers, municipal authorities, and tourism businesses may benefit from focusing on the lived quality of culinary encounters rather than on resource accumulation alone.
Based on this study’s findings, a visitor-centred, perception-driven model can help guide future development. Improving experience quality may begin with designing spaces that invite bodily and multisensory engagement. For example, restaurant layouts that encourage movement, street routes linking markets with historic teahouses, and lighting and soundscapes that respect the human scale can contribute to strengthening travellers’ emotional ties with place.
Environmental fundamentals remain decisive. Clean kitchens, tidy table areas, and clear spatial order can reassure guests about safety and create a foundation for trust. Routine inspections and transparent hygiene ratings may reinforce this trust, while visible sustainability practices such as waste separation bins or reusable tableware signal respect for community resources.
Immersive, culturally grounded programmes may further deepen engagement. Interactive dumpling workshops, seasonal tasting fairs, and chef-led market walks allow visitors to touch, smell, and taste local heritage. Storytelling that links dishes to family histories or seasonal rituals can transform a meal into cultural learning and help strengthen the city’s narrative identity.
Supporting small, locally rooted vendors is essential for maintaining culinary authenticity. Training in service etiquette, digital marketing, and basic accounting can help these vendors thrive without diluting traditional recipes or techniques. Such support preserves heritage and differentiates Yangzhou from destinations that rely on standardised food courts.
Service design should be adapted to distinct visitor segments. Students may prefer convenient, budget-friendly snack routes, whereas gourmet travellers may seek chef-curated tasting menus and farm-to-table experiences. Cultural tourists may be drawn to heritage dining rooms or slow-food countryside kitchens. Across all segments, digital platforms play a central role in shaping expectations; therefore, marketers should provide clear, sensory-rich content that highlights ambience, sustainability practices, and price transparency.
In summary, destinations that weave physical space, sensory design, and cultural narrative into a coherent, body-aware experience may improve visitor satisfaction, strengthen culinary identity, and contribute to sustainable tourism goals.
8. Limitations
Although this study provides fresh theoretical and practical insight into food-tourism experience quality through an embodied lens, several constraints remain.
The first limitation concerns the sample. All twenty-five participants were recruited in Yangzhou, a city with distinctive cultural and gastronomic heritage. Concentrating the data collection in one location raises questions about transferability; tourists who travel to regions with different culinary traditions or social norms may form and interpret their experiences in ways that diverge from the patterns observed here. To gauge external validity, future research should replicate this study in destinations that differ in scale, cuisine, and visitor profile. In addition, as tourists’ activities are often constrained by temporal and spatial distance, participation tends to be higher among visitors from areas surrounding the destination. Most of the respondents in this study were from the eastern region, and future research should expand the geographical scope of investigation.
A second limitation involves method. Grounded theory enabled rich, in-depth exploration, yet the work rests solely on qualitative interviews. Personal narratives can contain subjective bias shaped by mood, communication style, or social desirability. The absence of complementary quantitative instruments also means that the conceptual model remains untested against larger data sets. Studies that combine surveys or physiology-based measures with qualitative evidence would lend additional robustness and help clarify the relative weight of each influencing factor across visitor segments.
Third, the fieldwork took place in spring and summer, which coincide with Yangzhou’s peak tourist season. Visitor behaviour, crowd density, and service practices during these months may differ from those in low-season periods, so the findings may carry a seasonal tint. Extending the data collection across multiple times of year would reveal whether embodied responses shift with weather, festival calendars, or fluctuations in tourist volume. Addressing the three issues of geographic scope, methodological breadth, and temporal range would enhance scientific rigour and deepen understanding of how multisensory gastronomy contributes to sustainable destination appeal.