Abstract
The shift toward experience-oriented travel has positioned food as a central driver for
attracting visitors to sustainable destinations, directly supporting United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)11 (resilient cities) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption).
While prior research has predominantly emphasised marketing outcomes, the role of bodily experiences in shaping gastronomic tourism has received less attention. This study
explores how sensory elements (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch) and non-sensory
elements (including cultural meaning and service quality) jointly influence food-related
travel experiences. Twenty-five self-identified food travellers were interviewed in a United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) City of Gastronomy,
and their narratives were analysed using a three-stage grounded theory approach in NVivo
12. The resulting model identifies four interrelated dimensions: (1) embodied experience,
grounded in culinary memories and shared cultural narratives; (2) sensory stimulation arising from food and its surroundings; (3) situated embodiment, shaped by location, timing,
and social interaction; and (4) environmental perception, encompassing food presentation,
facility quality, cleanliness, and pricing fairness. These dimensions interact to enhance
overall experience quality. By integrating an embodied perspective with a sustainability
focus, this study advances tourism experience research and offers practical guidance for
designing multisensory dining environments, fostering environmentally responsible visitor
behaviour, and ensuring a balanced relationship between price and perceived value.
attracting visitors to sustainable destinations, directly supporting United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)11 (resilient cities) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption).
While prior research has predominantly emphasised marketing outcomes, the role of bodily experiences in shaping gastronomic tourism has received less attention. This study
explores how sensory elements (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch) and non-sensory
elements (including cultural meaning and service quality) jointly influence food-related
travel experiences. Twenty-five self-identified food travellers were interviewed in a United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) City of Gastronomy,
and their narratives were analysed using a three-stage grounded theory approach in NVivo
12. The resulting model identifies four interrelated dimensions: (1) embodied experience,
grounded in culinary memories and shared cultural narratives; (2) sensory stimulation arising from food and its surroundings; (3) situated embodiment, shaped by location, timing,
and social interaction; and (4) environmental perception, encompassing food presentation,
facility quality, cleanliness, and pricing fairness. These dimensions interact to enhance
overall experience quality. By integrating an embodied perspective with a sustainability
focus, this study advances tourism experience research and offers practical guidance for
designing multisensory dining environments, fostering environmentally responsible visitor
behaviour, and ensuring a balanced relationship between price and perceived value.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 7296 |
| Journal | SUSTAINABILITY |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 16 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 12 Aug 2025 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Computer Science (miscellaneous)
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
- Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
- Energy Engineering and Power Technology
- Hardware and Architecture
- Computer Networks and Communications
- Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Keywords
- embodied cognition
- embodied food experience
- food tourism
- grounded theory
- multisensory perception
