Search Results (67)

This paper investigates how the “Gastro Local” network in Brașov County, Romania, contributes to regional brand development by digitally communicating local gastronomic and cultural values. One hundred eighty social media posts created by Local Gastronomic Points (LGPs) were analyzed using a directed content analysis grounded in the Memorable Gastronomic Experience (MGE) and Online Destination Brand Experience (ODBE) frameworks. Results suggest that LGPs construct dense multimodal narratives combining gastronomic, environmental, emotional, and temporal cues, indicating that rural digital storytelling relies on layered experiential configurations. Hedonism, Local Culture, and Relaxation dominate experiential communication, while sensory and spatio-temporal cues structure online brand expression. Co-occurrence patterns and correspondence analysis indicate two potential branding logics: a sensory–hedonic strategy centred on visual pleasure, and an affective–symbolic contextual strategy anchored in heritage and rural temporality. The study contributes an integrated MGE × ODBE analytical model and suggests how small-scale food providers act as decentralized branding agents, supporting aspects of sustainable and authenticity-driven regional identity-building within this specific context. Full article

This study explores how sustainable culinary tourism fosters rural diversification and resilience in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). Despite increasing recognition of gastronomy as a driver of sustainable tourism, comparative analyses across macro-regional contexts remain limited. The paper addresses this gap through a qualitative comparative analysis of twelve thematic culinary trails involving seventy-three small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) developed under the INTERREG Baltic Sea Region Programme’s BASCIL project. Drawing on documentary analysis, stakeholder consultations, and thematic coding, the research identifies six interconnected pathways: agritourism and farm-based experiences, rural gastronomic branding, culinary festivals, digitalization, sustainability and circular economy practices, and European Union (EU) policy support. Results reveal that culinary tourism strengthens local economies, reinforces cultural identity, and promotes transnational cooperation, while challenges persist in professionalization, digital adoption, and infrastructure. The study underscores the enabling role of EU frameworks in scaling innovation and embedding gastronomy within rural development strategies. It concludes that culinary tourism operates as a strategic lever for sustainable rural transformation, integrating economic, social, and environmental dimensions, and calls for further longitudinal research on its long-term socio-economic and policy impacts in the BSR and beyond. Full article

Food color is a powerful determinant of consumer perception, influencing emotions, taste expectations, and hedonic responses. This study investigated how red, yellow, and blue plating colors affect emotional responses, acceptance, and taste associations. Emotional descriptors were defined through two focus groups (n = 17) and validated in a consumer study with 295 participants (63.4% female, 35.3% male). Three color-dominant samples were evaluated online using the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA), Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA), and a nine-point hedonic scale. The red sample achieved the highest acceptance (7.27), followed by blue (7.03) and yellow (6.82) (p < 0.05). Red was strongly associated with positive RATA terms such as pleasant (3.90), with pleasure (2.95), and satisfied, while blue elicited negative responses, including disgusted (72%) and no appetite (74%). Pearson correlations confirmed pleasant (r = 0.70, p < 0.001) and with pleasure (r = 0.58, p < 0.001) as key acceptance drivers, whereas disgusted (r = −0.29, p < 0.001) acted as a rejection cue. Correspondence analysis explained 68% of the variance, and Partial Least Squares Regression highlighted pleasant (VIP = 1.86) as the strongest predictor of liking. Tableware (≥4.25) and plating arrangement (≥4.31) also significantly shaped emotional perception. These results demonstrate that plating colors critically influence consumer emotions and acceptance, offering practical insights for multisensory gastronomy and food design. Overall, the study shows that plating color can be strategically leveraged in gastronomy and product development to enhance consumer emotions and acceptance, providing valuable guidance for multisensory food design. Although conducted using photographic stimuli and limited to Brazilian consumers, the study provides valuable insights into how plating color influences emotional and hedonic responses. These findings can support both academic research and professional practice, guiding chefs and food designers in developing multisensory gastronomic experiences. Full article

The readiness of tourists to accept innovative food is investigated in this research through the prism of the Protection Motivation Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior, combining two previously developed yet seldom researched psychological dimensions, namely, food neophobia as a restraining force and food involvement as a motivating force. The quantitative approach and the generation-by-generation analysis using partial least squares (PLS-SEM) and multiple group analysis were used to conduct the study on a sample of 985 domestic tourists in Serbia. The results suggest that food involvement eases openness toward gastronomic innovations and mitigates the negative impact of neophobia, whereas the generational differences reveal that younger tourists are more willing to be experimental, and older generations tend to be conservative in their food consumption. The study is relevant to the academic literature because it puts motivational and barrier factors into context within the PMT and TPB paradigms and provides operational implications for the design of tourism propositions that can be used to promote innovative and sustainable gastronomic experiences. The novelty of the present study is that it uses the hybrid model of food neophobia and food involvement in the generational context of a post-transition society, i.e., Serbia. Full article

In the tourism industry, loyalty is a crucial factor that can significantly impact a business’s success and survival. In niche markets such as wine and beer, it is even more relevant, as in Mexico, most businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises. This study aimed to compare the influence of experience and price on tourist loyalty between wine and beer, using a sample of 245 adult tourists in Baja California, Mexico. Structural equation modeling using partial least squares (PLS) was employed for data analysis, utilizing an embedded two-stage approach. It was found that there is no significant difference in the influence of experience and price on loyalty, regardless of the type of beverage being consumed. In both cases, price is the variable that most influences tourist loyalty, although the influence of experience on loyalty is also significant but only for beer. These results enable the development of targeted marketing strategies for regions that focus on gastronomic tourism centered on these types of beverages. In addition to practitioners concentrating on developing a sensory, affective, and behavioral experience for tourists, it is also essential to set an attractive price for the consumer. Full article

In contemporary tourism, gastronomic offerings increasingly go beyond the boundaries of mere taste enjoyment, becoming an important element of the sustainable development of destinations. At the same time, food safety is gaining importance as a key aspect of the tourist experience and trust in a destination. The research was conducted in Serbia, focusing specifically on agritourism farm stays known for their local food production and sustainable hospitality practices. This study highlights the crucial link between local agricultural practices and tourists’ perceptions of food safety, positioning food safety as a key dimension of both sustainable gastronomy and rural development. The research was conducted on a sample of 650 tourists in farm stays, using a structured survey questionnaire, with data analysed through descriptive statistics, factor analysis, Pearson correlation, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. The results indicate that tourists highly value food safety, particularly in the context of local and traditional gastronomy, and that there is a significant correlation between the perception of food safety and the intention to revisit or recommend a destination. This study suggests that the integration of food safety standards into sustainable gastronomic practices is essential for enhancing competitiveness and building long-term trust among individuals of various sociodemographic profiles. Full article

The shift toward experience-oriented travel has positioned food as a central driver for attracting visitors to sustainable destinations, directly supporting United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)11 (resilient cities) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption). While prior research has predominantly emphasised marketing outcomes, the role of bodily experiences in shaping gastronomic tourism has received less attention. This study explores how sensory elements (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch) and non-sensory elements (including cultural meaning and service quality) jointly influence food-related travel experiences. Twenty-five self-identified food travellers were interviewed in a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) City of Gastronomy, and their narratives were analysed using a three-stage grounded theory approach in NVivo 12. The resulting model identifies four interrelated dimensions: (1) embodied experience, grounded in culinary memories and shared cultural narratives; (2) sensory stimulation arising from food and its surroundings; (3) situated embodiment, shaped by location, timing, and social interaction; and (4) environmental perception, encompassing food presentation, facility quality, cleanliness, and pricing fairness. These dimensions interact to enhance overall experience quality. By integrating an embodied perspective with a sustainability focus, this study advances tourism experience research and offers practical guidance for designing multisensory dining environments, fostering environmentally responsible visitor behaviour, and ensuring a balanced relationship between price and perceived value. Full article

A key aspect of ensuring efficient management of gastronomic tourism is understanding the demand behavior. The studies conducted so far are limited to analyzing this demand in specific destinations, making it impossible to extrapolate their results to obtain a global profile of the gastronomic tourist. This study aims to address this gap by providing a more generalizable characterization and identifying a series of segments of gastronomic tourists. This has been achieved through a survey conducted with 421 gastronomic tourists on an international scale, using descriptive statistics and latent class analysis (LCA). The results obtained have provided insight into the behavior, willingness to pay, expectations, and experiences of those surveyed. From this, three segments of gastronomic tourists with clearly different profiles have been identified. These findings offer a precise understanding of the demand for gastronomic tourism and provide a strategic basis for designing tailored, conscious policies aimed at maximizing the cultural and economic value of the food heritage of different tourist destinations. Full article

Sociodemographic aspects influence consumer perception in a food hall. This study evaluates the attributes that determine the gastronomic experience and examines how sociodemographic aspects (age, education level, income, consumption) affect the perception of restaurant attributes, satisfaction, and loyalty. Using a valid sample of 420 participants, exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression were applied. The results show that education level and income significantly affect satisfaction (β = −0.173; p = 0.006 and β = 0.195; p = 0.015, respectively) and loyalty dimensions, including revisit intention (β = −0.179; p = 0.004 and β = 0.269; p = 0.001), recommendation (β = −0.171; p = 0.005 and β = 0.295; p = 0.001), and intention to say positive things (β = −0.120; p = 0.051 and β = 0.215; p = 0.006). Unlike prior studies focused on traditional restaurants, this research offers new empirical evidence within food halls as hybrid gastronomic spaces. The findings provide practical insights for food hall managers and urban tourism developers by emphasizing the importance of segmenting marketing strategies according to education, income, and visit frequency to enhance customer satisfaction, loyalty, and destination attractiveness. Full article

Many meals are consumed in public settings such as schools, hospitals, and elderly care. These meals have the potential to impact public health as well as promote sustainable lifestyles. However, gastronomic values can be important for loading the meals with other dimensions. The aim of this article is to explore how the concept of gastronomy is understood, used, and described in the scientific literature in the context of public meals. For this scoping review, a systematic approach was adopted, including articles that use the concept of gastronomy in the context of public meals, as defined in this paper. A total of 3676 articles were initially identified, of which eight were finally included for assessment in this review. Three main themes emerged in the analysis, illustrating how the concept of gastronomy was used: gastronomy as local food and national cuisine; gastronomy as ideas of ‘the good’; and gastronomy as a framework. The concept of gastronomy is seldom clearly defined but is often used to emphasize ideas of ‘the good’, local food, and culinary traditions. Through gastronomy, healthy and sustainable public meals can be loaded with additional value, creativity, and innovation, enhancing the overall meal experience. Full article

This article investigates predicted future developments in fine dining using a mixed-methods approach rooted in German gastronomic culture. By conducting an inductive media content analysis and ten semi-structured expert interviews with leading figures in Germany’s high-end food sector, we applied a qualitative mixed-methods approach. The study was based exclusively on data collected in 2018 and 2019, deliberately excluding pandemic-related developments in order to focus on long-term structural and cultural trends in fine dining. We identified two core thematic clusters: one related to sustainable food practices (ecology/sustainability, regionality, seasonality, from-farm-to-table, and vegetarianism/veganism) and the other to experiential dimensions of dining (experience, topic-based concept, and storytelling). Our findings contribute to the academic discussion on culinary futures and provide grounded insights into how fine dining is likely to evolve in response to broader societal, environmental, and cultural shifts. This study fills a significant research gap by systematically mapping emerging restaurant concepts based on non-COVID data, making it a valuable reference for scholars and practitioners alike. Full article

Gastronomy is an essential element in the visitor’s experience in a given destination, being even more important in those destinations with an important cultural heritage. The study focused on the city of Córdoba (Spain), known for its extensive cultural heritage and for being the city with the most World Heritage declarations in the world, with four of them. Based on a total of 467 valid questionnaires, a structural equation analysis (PLS-SEM) was carried out. Of a total of four hypotheses proposed, the influence of all of them was confirmed except for the one that hypothesized an influence of perceived gastronomic value on loyalty to a gastronomic destination, thus confirming the overall mediating effect of gastronomic experiences between the two variables mentioned above. Furthermore, the influence of gastronomic satisfaction on loyalty to a gastronomic destination was evident, with no mediating effect of gastronomic experiences in this case. The results obtained can be of great help to decision-makers, both public and private, in establishing gastronomic proposals that are genuine, sensorially rich, and strongly culturally rooted, thus enhancing the cultural experience. Full article

This study investigates how local gastronomic products with strong cultural and heritage value can contribute to destination identity and sustainable rural tourism development. Focusing on cave-aged cheeses, it emphasizes the case of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon (France), where traditional cheese-making and natural cave-aging have been successfully integrated into tourism experiences that reflect terroir, authenticity, and rural heritage. To explore tourist motivations, a survey of 416 visitors was conducted. Factor analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used to identify the main drivers behind cheese-related tourism. The analysis revealed three key motivational factors: Traditional Gastronomy, linked to interest in regional food practices; Cheese Experience, emphasizing the unique appeal of Roquefort cheese; and Heritage Tourism, reflecting a desire to connect with rural identity and sustainable traditions. These results support the hypothesis that culturally significant local food products can serve as central elements in shaping place identity and attracting visitors through immersive, heritage-based experiences. The study concludes that food heritage can be a powerful tool for rural development, offering economic, cultural, and experiential value. It also identifies similar opportunities in Serbian regions such as Pirot and Sokobanja, where traditional kačkavalj cheese and natural cave environments present strong potential for tourism growth rooted in local identity. Full article

Gastronomic event tourism is an emerging phenomenon that attracts an increasing number of tourists seeking a memorable gastronomic experience based on its cultural uniqueness, highlighting the need to understand the behavior of this tourism demand. This study proposes a model to determine the importance of food tourism events in developing the cultural identity of tourist destinations by analyzing the tourist experience concerning their motivation, satisfaction, and loyalty, understood as variables of sustainable tourism behavior. The hypotheses in the model have been tested using non-linear structural equations modeling (SEM), estimated with data from the Resident Tourism Survey of the National Statistics Institute (NSI), on domestic demand for value-added gastronomic tourism in Spain. The data analyzed covers the period from January 2019 to December 2022 (n = 3483). The results show a significant relationship between the variables influencing overall tourist satisfaction with gastronomic events and tourist loyalty. This research provides knowledge on the behavior of gastronomically motivated tourists with practical implications for destinations, aimed at improving decision-making in the definition of tourism strategies, focusing on the preservation and enhancement of their gastronomic offer as a cultural identity through the offer of food events. Full article

This study explores the role of Allium ursinum L. in shaping authentic gastronomic experiences and its influence on tourists’ perceptions and revisit intentions in rural destinations. Allium ursinum was selected due to its cultural symbolism, seasonal availability, and traditional culinary use, particularly in Serbia. The study applies the SOR (Stimulus–Organism–Response) model to investigate how cognitive and affective responses elicited by interactions with this plant shape tourist behavior. A structured questionnaire was administered to 336 tourists who had consumed food containing Allium ursinum in ten rural destinations across the Republic of Serbia. The findings emphasize the importance of cognitive responses, such as authenticity perception, knowledge acquisition, and cultural understanding, which in turn influence affective responses, including enjoyment, emotional involvement, and flow state. While positive emotions enhance attachment to local food and revisit intention, the subjective nature of these assessments calls for caution when generalizing. The study contributes to the literature by identifying sensory and emotional mechanisms that link local food ingredients with tourist loyalty. This is the first study to empirically test the SOR model using a local plant ingredient in a rural tourism context. Full article