GASTRONOMY AS DESTINATION ATTRACTION FACTOR: A DESTINATION MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE

Purpose – In a competitive environment tourist destination are challenged to meet the changing consumer needs. Tourism demand has experienced significant changes in the value system, with an emphasis on individualization in the approach to travel, highlighting individual needs that manifest the individual’s lifestyle and the desire for new and authentic experiences. Diversification of the destination product through activation of various destination resources is required. Whereby destination management organizations, as crucial driver of the destination product, are essential stakeholders in the development process. Tourists desire to seek for new authentic experience is contributing to the usage of gastronomy as destination resource within the development of gastronomic tourism. The aim of this paper is to summarize present findings about the relationship between gastronomy as destination resource and tourism demand travel behavior with the purpose to analyze the destination management perspective towards the observed relationship. Design – An introductory section is followed by a literature review to tourist attractions and gastronomy in tourism demand travel behavior. Insights into the research methodology are provided before results presentation and discussion. The paper ends with conclusion remarks. Methodology and approach – A thorough review of existing literature was conducted to identify relevant constructs, theories, and previous research findings pertinent to the research topic. Based on the literature review, key gastronomy and destination attractiveness relationship constructs were identified. A qualitative analysis with a questionnaire-based approach was performed on a focus group for the purpose to investigate the expert attitudes towards observed gastronomy and destination attractiveness relationship constructs. Purposive sampling technic was used, based on the population of interest. The research was conducted on a focus group, selected group of tourism experts, directors of tourist destination management organizations in the area of SplitDalmatia County. Collected surveys were summarized, presented and interpreted. Findings – From a destination management perspective gastronomy has an increasing role in tourist motivation to travel. In order attract tourists with the gastronomic offer, gastronomic resources have to be existing, valorized and as such perceived by tourism demand. Gastronomy is acting as an attraction factor. Quality of gastronomy contribute to guest satisfaction, intention for repeated visit, loyalty and increased revenues. Originality of the research – The paper provides a destination management perspective to present knowledge about the relationship between gastronomy and destination attractiveness. The research fills the literature gap of a destination management perspective on an intensively growing form of tourism, namely gastronomic tourism, in a tourist region focused on beach tourism. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the research topic and offer implications for destination management decision making.