Constructing Indicators of Culinary Tourism Strategy: An Application of Resource-Based Theory

A tourism destination that seeks to develop culinary tourism products must combine the featured culinary cultures with tourism resources to support the culinary tourism strategies. A concrete strategic framework will aid tourism destinations in identifying local culinary products and experiences and creating promotional strategies and tools for the development of local culinary tourism. The purpose of this study is to construct a strategy framework and indicators for culinary tourism in Taiwan based on resource-based theory (RBT). This study included a qualitative document analysis, a literature review, in-depth interviews, and application of the Fuzzy Delphi method. The results show a culinary tourism strategy framework consisting of four dimensions and 75 indicators. The four dimensions are resources, capabilities, strategy, and education. The four dimensions are comprised of 10 factors (strategies) with a total of 75 indicators. In addition to its practical implications, an important contribution of this study is its application of RBT to develop national culinary tourism resource and strategy planning.     

The integration of nutrition components into culinary programs: perspectives of experts and educators

ABSTRACT

Consumers are increasingly eager for healthier food selections, but not at the expense of taste. As the foodservice industry continues to respond to these trends, graduates from culinary and hospitality programs are expected to be trained to meet these changing needs. The aim of the study was to compare industry experts’ and educators’ perceived importance of nutritional competencies in culinary curriculum, as well as the perceived barriers to integrate nutritional competency in accredited culinary programs. The study analyzed data provided by two U.S.-based groups of participants: (1) culinary and industry experts, and (2) educators in culinary and hospitality management programs. Results indicate that experts view nutritional competency as important to a student’s program of study and that success depends on educators meeting these competencies. However, the analysis reveals that educators significantly undervalue the importance of nutritional competency placement in curriculum and overrate how well they are preparing culinary graduates.     

Exploring Marketing Strategies for Culinary Tourism in Hong Kong and Singapore

This study focused on Hong Kong and Singapore and sought to explore culinary tourism development and marketing strategies and contents. The study also analyzed the framework of marketing strategies for developing culinary tourism from a resource-based theory perspective. The methodology primarily involved in-depth interviews with strategy planners on tourism boards and content analysis of academic documents and official publications on tourism as means for exploring marketing strategies for culinary tourism in Hong Kong and Singapore. The results showed that, although Hong Kong and Singapore do not have abundant natural resources to develop more diverse tourism experiences, they do have a diversified dietary and cultural background, and with a combination of tourism and creativity they could develop culinary tourism that is innovative, diverse and likely to attract attention. The public and private sectors could form strategic alliances to enhance the attractiveness of tourism through different marketing strategies and thereby present an image of the destination's culinary culture.     

Competency analysis of top managers in the Taiwanese hotel industry

The purpose of this study was to identify top managers’ competencies in hotel unit leaders perceived to be most critical for career development, and using the Fuzzy Delphi and Analytic Hierarchy Process methods to determine perceptions of the importance of various competencies in different dimensions. This study uses snowball sampling methods to collect data from 25 hotel top managers and uses qualitative and quantitative surveys, including interviews, questionnaire review and a questionnaire survey. A two-stage research design is adopted to understand the differences in perceived competency requirements better. The analytical results demonstrate the required competencies of top managers in the hotel industry, and divide them into generic and technical dimensions, 18 competency domains, and 107 competency indices. The top three most important competency domains are “leadership,” “crisis management,” and “problem-solving.” The proposed management competency framework provides an important implication for educators, practitioners, and researchers.     

Is it art or science? Chef's competencies for success

One of the most challenging professions in the hospitality industry, comprised of both scientific mastery and artistic innovation, is the Chef. It is imperative that these positions are occupied by individuals who possess the appropriate set of skills allowing them to perform with equal success in both culinary, as well as managerial competence. Thus, this research sets out to investigate, from “the Chef's” perspective, competencies required for a successful career in the field as well as the level to which these competencies have been developed (acquired) on-the-job. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 27 competency items was administered to Chef professionals working in Cyprus. The findings revealed that technical (culinary-specific) competencies were considered as most important, followed by leadership-management competencies. In contrast, conceptual (creative-adaptive) competencies were ranked low by the respondents. In addition, numerous significant differences were revealed based on demographics and other industry-related factors.     

Analysis of career competency of food and beverage managers in international tourist hotels in Taiwan

The purpose of this study is to establish indicators of career competencies of food and beverage managers in international tourist hotels in Taiwan. Panel discussions and the Delphi technique were adopted. Two panel discussions were conducted with a total of 11 industry experts and seven academic experts. The framework of career competencies was established based on these experts’ opinions. Delphi questionnaires were sent to 23 experts 13 in the hospitality industry and ten academic experts to collect data. By using such questionnaire twice, the 23 panelists reached a stable consensus. The results indicate career competencies include two categories: (1) career planning and development, and (2) core employability. The data demonstrated that the core employability competency was slightly more important for an individual's career development than the career development and planning competency.     

A criteria model of restaurant energy conservation and carbon reduction in Taiwan

This study investigates the indicators of – and creates a model for – energy conservation and carbon reduction (ECCR) in restaurants, with the aim of promoting sustainable food tourism development in Taiwan. Based on research, food and drinks can account for up to 30% of total tourism expenditure. However, this topic receives little attention in terms of energy use and its effects on climate change. The current researchers adopt multi-dimensional, qualitative and quantitative research methods, including in-depth interviews and an analytic network process (ANP), to collect research data. In-depth interviews with 16 experts are conducted, whereby 35 ECCR criteria are obtained. The ANP results for the restaurant ECCR model reveal 30 ECCR criteria with relative weights in the following five dimensions: ECCR buildings (40.82%), waste (26.03%), sustainable food use (15.89%), energy consumption (10.05%) and water (7.21%). Management implications are discussed, emphasizing both operational changes and staff training and incentives. The new ANP results demonstrate an interdependent relationship among the criteria, which can enhance the accuracy of the results and provide a reference for the restaurant industry in making decisions toward achieving eco-friendly developments and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This study focuses predominantly on Asian cuisine; other cuisines require further research.     

Developing inter-organizational relationships with online travel agencies (OTAs) and the hotel industry

This research examines the relationship status of leading OTAs with the hotel industry in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region along with future trends in hotel distribution channels. A Delphi study was conducted with senior executives (n = 12) of leading OTAs to explore the inter-organizational relationship development between hotels and OTAs. Our results indicate that building a long-term sustainable relationship with the hotel industry requires OTAs to be innovative and capable of enhancing their value to hotels. Moreover, the future of the hotel distribution landscape in the APAC region is expected to become increasingly complex.     

Tourism strategy development and facilitation of integrative processes among brand equity,marketing and motivation

With the absence of heavy industry and pollution from intense commercial development, Kinmen is a significant source of additional value for tourism in Taiwan. This calls for in-depth studies on tourism marketing, brand equity and travel motivation in Kinmen. This study attempts to identify the important attributes of Kinmen tourism and extend the related literature on marketing strategy, brand equity and travel motivation by employing a combination of the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM), decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and analytic network process (ANP) approaches to demonstrate the interactions and relations among critical criteria. The FDM identified the critical attributes, which were used in DEMATEL analysis to demonstrate that brand equity has direct and indirect influences on marketing strategy and travel motivation. The use of the ANP with global weighting further reveals that travel intention is the most critical element of Kinmen tourism.     

Investigating the Structural Relationships Between Food Image,Food Satisfaction,Culinary Quality,and Behavioral Intentions: The Case of Malaysia

This study was designed to test a theoretical model determining the relationships among tourists' perceived food image, food satisfaction, culinary quality, and behavioral intentions. The structural relationships between the variables were examined by adopting a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, and the empirical data was collected in Malaysia. Analysis of findings revealed that (a) tourists' perceived food image played a role in directly influencing food satisfaction and quality of culinary experience (culinary quality); (b) food image influenced tourists' behavioral intentions through culinary quality; (c) tourist satisfaction with their food experience directly affected perceived quality of their culinary experience and behavioral intentions; and (d) tourists' behavioral intentions were directly affected by their evaluation of culinary quality. This study concluded that food was an imperative contributor in destination tourism due to its capability in influencing tourists' perceived image, food satisfaction, culinary quality, and consequently impacting tourists' behaviors in the selection of a travel destination.     

The impact of successful cross-competencies on a career in tourism in Italy: the meeting point between the students’ perceptions and the requirements for professionals

ABSTRACT

The paper aims to understand how the changes occurring in the tourism sector are affecting the labor market in Italy, with a special focus on the relevance of successful cross competences (SCC). It focuses on comparing the relevance of these competencies in the perception of both students preparing to enter the tourism field and tour operators. The two-step study combined qualitative analysis that put forth specific characteristics of the tourism labor market in Italy through interviews with experts, and quantitative analysis that correlated the requirements of the tour operators to the ideas students have of what competencies tour operators entering the field should have. The results evinced differing perceptions of SCC and their relative importance in professional fields. Students manifest to miss awareness of the importance of SCC for their future careers. Furthermore, organizational ability, self-control and self-esteem were perceived by tour operators as the most important competencies to be acquired.     

Service-leadership competencies for hospitality and tourism management

Competency models have become useful tools for management development in hospitality and tourism organizations. At the same time, these models provide limited focus on leadership behaviors that facilitate employee service performance and customer satisfaction. The present study seeks to address this issue by developing a “service-leadership” competency model for use in the hospitality and tourism context. The following study reports on the results of interviews with 110 industry managers, which yielded a model of some 100 behaviors in 20 competency areas. These competencies cluster into 3 high order categories, namely business savvy, people savvy and self savvy. The results of the study are discussed in the context of extant research.     

The Impacts of Culinary Training on Healthful Food Preparation

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impacts of different culinary training programs (certified, culinary degree, apprenticeship) on chefs' nutrition education, attitude toward healthful food preparation, and practices of healthful food preparation. Furthermore, the barriers to healthful food preparation practices will be determined. A total of 400 chefs representing independent restaurants in Oklahoma were randomly selected to participate in this study. The total response to the mailings, telephone invitations, and reminders generated 137 (34.25%) completed questionnaires. The findings implied that culinary degree education will be the leading trend in the future culinary training. Moreover, different culinary training techniques do influence the chefs' attitudes toward healthful food preparation. However, the level of training does not make any difference on chefs' nutritional knowledge and practices of healthful food preparation.     

Understanding culinary tourist motivation,experience, satisfaction,and loyalty using a structural approach

Research on culinary tourism lacks an empirical examination of the relationship between motivation, experience, satisfaction, and loyalty. Drawing on the extant literature, this paper examines the relationships between antecedents and outcomes of culinary tourist participation in cooking classes using a structural equation modelling approach. Based on a convenience sample of 300 international tourists at cooking schools in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the structural model confirmed direct and indirect interrelationships among four main constructs of the study. It was found that culinary tourists’ motivation positively influences both the culinary experience and satisfaction; and that the culinary tourist experience is positively associated with both culinary tourist satisfaction and loyalty, suggesting that the more tourists are motivated to participate in cooking classes, the more experiential value and satisfaction are perceived. Moreover, the more experiences encountered at the cooking class, the more satisfied and loyal the tourists become. Understanding the key motivators and elements of satisfaction in cooking classes can contribute to the achieving of sustainable destination loyalty. The findings are relevant to Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) as part of developing sustainable strategies that are in line with specific culinary needs and experiences of cooking class participants.     

Sustainable culinary tourism and Cevicherías: a stakeholder and social practice approach

This study proposes a theoretical framework based on stakeholder and social practice theory in the context of sustainable culinary tourism development. This framework emanates from the examination of issues affecting such development, and ways to adapt, from the perspective of a key SCT stakeholder group, restaurant operators, in a developing gastronomic destination. In-depth, face-to-face interviews revealed socio-economic and environmental issues, namely, perceived impacts from larger fish/seafood exports, over-fishing, and weather patterns affecting the quantity and consistency of product supply, which resulted in increased prices. Ethical and proactive principles, and taking the leadership in limiting socio-economic and environmental issues were the main ways to adapt. Moreover, operators were incorporating alternative fish/seafood products, reinforcing ethical conduct, rejecting unacceptable business practices, and strictly adhering to closed seasons/bans. Participants’ ways to adapt are strongly related to the tenets of the two employed theories; these associations will be discussed, and future research streams suggested.     

Chefs and suppliers: An exploratory look at supply chain issues in an upscale restaurant alliance

This paper examines some basic issues associated with supply chains in the context of acquiring local ingredients as part of producing a culinary tourism experience. Based on data collected from Executive Chefs at Relais & Châteaux restaurants through surveys and personal interviews, the authors document producer-to-chef relationships, why and how local ingredients are featured in menu listings, and how chefs communicate their use of local ingredients to their guests. The results also describe chefs’ beliefs about the use of local ingredients, as well as potential issues related to the use of suppliers and their perceptions of their guests’ expectations for their meals.     

Innovative restaurants in a mass-tourism city: Evidence from Antalya

This paper is about innovative restaurants in the single-asset (sun-sea-sand) mass-tourism city of Antalya, and focuses on the supply side of the restaurant market. The broader aim of the paper is to show that the mass-tourism city of Antalya is more differentiated than one might expect. The specific aim of the paper is to find out what types of restaurants are more innovative than others and in what types of tourism places in the city they are located. The empirical research is based on interviews with 54 managers and chefs, the results of which are analysed with quantitative methods of relational analysis such as correspondence- and chi-square analysis. The main result of the empirical research is that high-quality restaurants, visited by a mix of locals and tourists, and are located in a specific urban places, are most innovative.     

Social Media as a New Play in a Marketing Channel Strategy: Evidence from Taiwan Travel Agencies' Blogs

With social media playing an increasingly important role in marketing strategies for travel agencies, this study explores travel agencies that develop their own travel blogs as a marketing channel in order to differentiate their products or services and their strategic performances. The paper herein adopts a two-stage research design, with the first stage developing a three-round Delphi research. According to this research, Taiwanese travel agencies consider four external environment forces, five internal motivations for investment, four developing differentiated strategies, and four channel performance measurement indicators for managing travel agencies' own blogs as a marketing channel. The second stage explores a quantitative survey, Structural Equation Modeling, with the structural equation testing the business model of a travel blog marketing channel strategy. Finally, the findings provide innovative approaches for effectively exploiting differentiated marketing channel strategies when targeting maximum profits.     

Antecedents of novelty seeking: international visitors’ propensity to experiment across Hong Kong's culinary traditions

The factors that influence the scope and range of visitors’ culinary choices were the focus of this study. Responses to a survey composed of 968 departing visitors from Hong Kong who reside in one of 18 countries revealed that culinary experimentation is influenced by four factors. They are in order of importance: national culture; length of stay; age; and repeat visitation. Specifically, respondents from low uncertainty avoidance countries patronized a greater number and diversity of culinary offers when compared to respondents from high uncertainty avoidance countries. In addition, repeat visitors and length of stay were positively correlated with both the number and range of culinary explorations, while first-time visitors and age were negatively correlated. The implications for managers is that visitors of different nationalities travel to destinations with different thresholds of tastes and uncertainty avoidance thresholds, and differences should be anticipated in terms of dining preferences and ranges of culinary experiences.     

The Meaning of Applied Creativity in the Culinary Industry

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to present a study which explores the origin of applied creativity in the culinary industry, in Taiwan. A total of 36 Chinese and Western cuisine chefs from five-star hotels and top restaurants were interviewed to provide the data from this study. The findings indicate that the role of applied creativity in the culinary industry has played a key role in culinary change and evolution in Taiwan. Culinary creativity has its own distinct characteristics, such as time limitations and market acceptance, which are acquired through building blocks of professional skills and experience. The study contributes to understanding the role of applied creativity in the culinary industry.