Does Culinary Tourism Act as a Pull Factor in Tourist Destinations in South Coast of Sri Lanka?
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Date
2020
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Publisher
Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka
Abstract
Tourists by arousing their taste buds towards food dishes and it has been already
considered as a motive for the choice of travel destinations. In recent years, a large
number of tourists in the world have traveled searching new and unique cuisines in
traveling destinations and revisited to familiar destinations for them to enjoy the dishes
that they have tasted during their previous trips. Culinary tourists usually select a
destination based on the availability of cuisines in the destination. Food or culinary makes
a destination unique and therefore, gastronomy is a strategic element in defining the brand
image of the destination. Considering that, this study focuses on investigating whether the
culinary tourism act as a pull factor in tourist destinations in the South coast of Sri Lanka.
A questionnaire-based survey was conducted around the South coast of Sri Lanka with
100 respondents applying a purposive sampling technique. After a comprehensive
literature review, confirmatory factor analysis was employed as a technique of data
reduction in the variables. Initially, regression analysis, thematic analysis, and descriptive
statistics were used to analyse data to achieve the objectives of the study. The results
revealed that culinary tourism as a pull factor had a significant and direct impact on the
destination choice of culinary tourists in the South coast of Sri Lanka. To develop
culinary tourism at a satisfactory level, food consumption patterns of culinary tourists
should be properly diagnosticated. Further, studies related to culinary tourism with the
mediation effect of destination image can be consummated.
Keywords: Culinary tourism, Culinary tourist, travelling destinations, Pull factor,
Gastronomy
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Keywords
Hospitality Management, Tourism Industry, Tourism Management, Event Management