Project Description
Full name of the article: Dutch local food and tourism : the influence of Dutch local food specialties on the vacation experience of tourists
Local food plays a vital role in the vacation experience of tourists. In fact, exploring local cuisines has become a key motivation for tourists to travel. The local food specialties of a country are making the place unique and different from other places, which can be used to create a culinary image to attract food travelers from all over the world. However, some countries, such as the Netherlands, are not attractive for culinary tourism. This research therefore explores the influence of Dutch local food specialties on the vacation experience of tourists. This has been done through qualitative research methods, such as semi structured interviews with international tourists and a content analysis of blog posts written by previous travelers. The results revealed that tourists were satisfied with the Dutch local specialties as they were tasteful, special and different. Moreover, tourists got a better impression of the Dutch culture and a more local feeling by trying the local food specialties. The study also showed that the Dutch local food specialties were forming an image of a snack culture, which could be used to promote culinary tourism in the country. This information would be particularly useful for Dutch culinary business and destination marketers, as the Dutch local food specialties are less popular than other European foods and therefore not the main reason for tourists to visit the country.
Author: A. de Mol (2022)
