Urban Gastronomy in the Cultural Consumption Practices of Tourists
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2025.5.3015Keywords:
gastronomy, tourism, gastronomic impression, cultural consumption, local cuisine, urban spaceAbstract
This article analyzes the factors correlating with tourists' gastronomic choices and their experiences with urban gastronomy gained during their travels. Particular attention is paid to exploring the sociocultural and economic needs of tourists in relation to food consumption as a cultural phenomenon in the modern city.
The study design combines quantitative and qualitative approaches. In the first stage, empirical data was collected using within an online population survey (N = 1,369, quota sampling with controls for gender and age). In the second stage, the authors conducted focus groups with informants with significant tourism experience, including those with gastronomic purposes (n1 = 6 and n2 = 7). The focus group guide included questions aimed at clarifying the informants' motivations and their personalized experience of cultural consumption of urban gastronomy during tourist trips.
The analysis revealed that tourists have heightened expectations for local gastronomy prioritizing economic needs (food quality, affordability) and sociocultural aspects of service (friendliness, personalized service, and hospitality). Tourists seek positive experiences through authentic encounters with the urban environment, driven by a search for "peak" experiences during travel that allow them to transcend the ordinary and gain a personalized experience of exploring urban spaces. More than a third of respondents, in addition to the traditional functions of food, demonstrate a desire for the entertaining context of urban gastronomy, unconventional food consumption attributes, and new experiences. These additional meanings of urban gastronomy are reflected in tourist narratives and reflections on their experiences.
The study identified the risks of interpretative distortions in the perception of urban gastronomy, and the substitution of genuine sociocultural experiences with pseudo-models of gastronomic practices. Prioritizing entertainment and the stereotypical nature of tourist routes reduce the opportunity for genuine engagement with the city's everyday life. The findings contribute to a better understanding of cultural consumption processes in cities and a deeper understanding of the specifics of perceiving urban gastronomy during a tourist trip.
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