The Role of the Gastronomic Experience in Experiential Tourism Marketing

With the rise of the experience economy in the service and marketing sectors, tourism marketing has shifted away from product- and service-oriented approaches toward experience-based value creation. This transformation has positioned experiential tourism marketing at the core of contemporary tourism strategies, while simultaneously rendering gastronomy one of the most intense and meaning-laden components of the tourist experience. Owing to their sensory, emotional, cultural, and social characteristics, gastronomic experiences play a significant role in the production of experiential value and in deepening tourist–destination interaction. This study aims to address the role of the gastronomic experience within the context of experiential tourism marketing from a conceptual perspective. Drawing on the literature on the experience economy and experiential marketing, the study positions the gastronomic experience at the center of the tourism value creation process. Through a literature-based synthesis, the effects of gastronomic experiences on experiential value and behavioral outcomes are systematically discussed. Within this scope, the chapter proposes a holistic conceptual model that explains the multidimensional and context-sensitive structure of the gastronomic experience within the overall tourist experience. The study emphasizes that gastronomy is not merely a complementary tourism activity, but rather a significant value creation instrument in experiential tourism marketing.