Gastronomy as a tourism resource: profile of the culinary tourist

TLDR

The study investigates culinary tourists in Córdoba, Spain, to assess whether gastronomy is a primary attraction or a secondary activity. The authors surveyed 206 tourists across ten Córdoba restaurants offering local dishes to gather data on culinary motivations. Results show that only 10% consider cuisine the main reason for visiting, 68% view it as important but not essential, and the remaining see it as secondary, indicating a need for targeted gastronomy promotion strategies.

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the characteristics and motivations of culinary tourists whose destination is the city of Córdoba (Spain) while attempting to determine whether gastronomy is an important aspect of the trip or if it is perceived simply as a secondary activity. Fieldwork was carried out among a series of restaurant establishments in the city of Córdoba. A demand survey was conducted in 10 particular establishments that were selected among those offering local dishes and which are regularly visited by tourists and the questionnaire was distributed among clients obtaining 206 valid answers. Our results reveal the strengths and weaknesses of Córdoba's restaurant sector. While 10% state that the cuisine is one of the main reasons for visiting the city, 68% believe that the local cuisine is an important but not an essential aspect of their trip and the rest view it as being secondary. These three types of tourists exhibit different kinds of motivation. This suggests that strategies should be designed and developed to promote gastronomy as one of the city's chief tourist attractions. Good tourism management based on initiatives such as the creation of culinary routes could be an alternative for implementing strategies aimed at the social and economic development and promotion of particular areas, for example turning typical food from rural areas in certain regions into a marketable attraction.