Technology Impacting Food Consumer Behaviour in the Tourism Industry

Dear Colleagues,

“Food consumer behaviour" can be radically impacted by technological advancement. New technologies generally entail a change in consumer behaviour and a corresponding opportunity for the food tourism market to meet these changing expectations (Gössling, 2020). Food becomes eminently experiential when it becomes a part of tourism and travel experiences, and consumers are now more demanding when making food choices. The literature on food tourism states that novel cuisines are an eminent factor that attracts tourists to a particular place or destination (Sharma et al., 2022). Despite considerable research attention being given to the relevance of food in promoting tourist locations, the role of technology in food tourism marketing in transforming travellers' food tourism experiences has received little attention

As consumers’ digital engagement with food and travel influencers and bloggers grows a radical change is occurring in consumer psychology and behaviour towards food-centric vacations (Afaq et al., 2022). Social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook enable users to share images of culinary arts, and this adds to the persona of digital trends that shape the food trends for the tourism industry (Lee et al., 2021). The culinary experiences shared by travellers on social media and different online review sites also provide a pool of information that reflects digital consumer behaviour (Gaur et al., 2021a). However, technology is not only limited to social networking sites; it offers a wide range of diverse opportunities to explore consumer food behaviour further. Some examples in the literature reflect the impact of technologies such as AI and robotics, virtual reality, and augmented reality on food consumption behaviour. A study by Xu et al. (2021) compared customers’ food choices for virtual food buffets and real-time food buffets and found a correlation between the two choices. This shows that the potential of virtual reality technology may drastically restructure the food tourism industry (Loureiro and Nascimento, 2021). Adopting virtual and augmented reality would open new opportunities for travellers, such as allowing them to take virtual tours of a destination before planning their travel. Such engagement can give a sense of authenticity to the customers. Previous studies have found a positive association between customers’ enjoyment of virtual reality tours of museums and other tourist spots (Kim et al., 2020). However, the role of virtual reality in promoting food tourism needs further investigation.

Furthermore, the increased efficiency of employing AI and robotics, particularly after the outbreak of COVID-19, cannot be denied in the food tourism sector. In their study, Gaur et al. (2021b) highlighted customers’ positive and changing behaviours towards using robotics in food preparation and service. Such technologies allow tourists to experience a safe, contactless, and amusing way to enjoy their food experience. The robotisation of food tourism experiences is an emerging field that holds relevance for both consumers and food service providers in the tourism industry. However, it is debatable whether the augmenting growth of robotics and other technological innovations in food services is enhancing  tourists’ food experiences or is giving way to dehumanising the food experience.

The Special Issue titled “Technology impacting food consumer behaviour in the tourism industry” entails how emerging technologies give way to innovation in food tourism and impact food consumer behaviour. The central focus of the Special Issue is to comprehend and explore how consumers are both positively and negatively affected by the advancements in technology within the food tourism industry. Moreover, it is imperative to explore what technological tools and applications food tourism providers adopt to promote tourism initiatives that can impact the destination’s brand image. Technological transformation can enrich the visibility and awareness of places and regions and profoundly impact competitive dynamics and consumer behaviour. This Special Issue welcomes all methods and approaches that derive critical theoretical and managerial implications for tourism marketers by exploring the changing food consumer behaviour in the tourism industry due to the influx of technology. The Special Issue welcomes theoretical and empirical studies and anticipates action research, design-oriented research, and case studies. Submitted articles should be focused on a wide range of audiences and follow the existing requirements of the journal. Interdisciplinary studies exploring the Special Issue's topics are also encouraged from anywhere in the world in keeping with the journal’s global readership.

This Special Issue invites submissions on (but not limited to) the following suggested topics:

• Human–robot interactions in food tourism;
• Virtual and augmented reality reshaping food tourism;
• Technological innovations in food services in the tourism industry;
• Humanising and dehumanising of food experiences in the tourism industry;
• Artificial Intelligence and food consumer behaviour in tourism;
• Advanced sensory modalities of VR systems influencing consumer behaviour in the food tourism industry;
• VR as a tool to collect consumer behaviour data in the food tourism industry;
• Role of travel influencers on food tourism;
• Digital food innovations empowering tourists;
• Personalised technological strategies impacting travellers' food choices;
• New food tourism models embracing technology;
• Role of AI in investigating digital behaviour in food tourism;
• Robot chefs in food tourism;
• Virtual reality food tourism in the COVID-19 era;
• Managerial and technological barriers and drivers for the food tourism industry to adopt AI technologies;
• Ethical and legal issues arising with the implementation of AI in food tourism marketing.

Prof. Dr. Gurmeet Singh
Dr. Loveleen Gaur
Dr. Shavneet Sharma
Dr. Neale Slack
Guest Editors

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• technology
• food consumer behaviour
• food tourism
• virtual reality
• artificial intelligence
• robotics
• social media