Understanding the importance of food tourism to Chongqing, China

<jats:p> Food is widely accepted as of great importance in tourists’ experiences by researchers. However, few studies allow tourists themselves to indicate the importance of food for their travel. In the meanwhile, the argument regarding the overestimation of the importance of food tourism to attract tourists is on the increase. Through a case study in Chongqing (China), this study aims to critically assess the importance of food tourism from domestic tourists’ perspectives. In particular, it fills the gap by providing a thorough exploration of tourists’ food experiences at different stages of their travel. A quantitative research methodology involving a structured questionnaire has been adopted. The results reveal that food plays different roles in different travel stages. The importance of food tourism in the pre-travel stage to Chongqing is not as important as the existing literature sources suggest. However, food has shown its importance during tourists’ travel in Chongqing as well as increased importance in their post-travel stage. In light of these findings, marketing strategies can be identified to accelerate the development of food tourism at a destination. </jats:p>