Beyond the Meal: Uncovering the Learning Potential in Culinary Tourism

This research explores culinary tourism as a pathway for educational engagement. Culinary tourism (also called gastronomic tourism or food tourism), encompassing immersive experiences such as cooking classes and food tours and unique local experiences like dining at landmark restaurants, allows travelers to forge deep connections with their destinations' cultural identities and traditions (Wolf, 2014; Stone et al., 2020). This sector significantly benefits local economies, promotes cultural preservation, and aligns global sustainability goals by enhancing awareness of socio-cultural and environmental issues (Everett & Aitchison, 2008; Bertella & Vidmar, 2019). In addition to providing economic benefits. Research on culinary tourism has considered a variety of perspectives, including those of businesses, destinations, and tourists. Travel has been associated with learning (Stone & Petrick, 2013), and culinary tourism emerges as a potent mechanism for education and cultural exchange, benefiting both travelers and the destinations they explore (Du Rand & Heath, 2006; Stone, Migacz, & Wolf, 2022). However, there is limited empirical evidence on how culinary tourism may contribute to learning and intercultural competence, barriers to learning, and combining fun and education. By highlighting these underexplored aspects, the research seeks to enhance the understanding of culinary tourism’s educational and cultural significance, offering a more comprehensive view of this evolving domain. This exploratory study surveyed travelers (N= 112) from many countries. The survey results highlight key aspects of food tourism involvement, intercultural competence, learning barriers, and the balance between enjoyment and education. Over two-thirds of respondents had a medium or high involvement level with culinary tourism, and over 86% agreed that food and drink activities while traveling help to increase knowledge of different cuisines and cultural food practices. Respondents expressed gaining Intercultural competence from food and drink activities while traveling, and this was measured in three components (intercultural responsibility, understanding, and appreciation) (Fan et al., 2022). Intercultural responsibility was reflected in participants, who reported greater openness and cultural tolerance through food tourism. Intercultural understanding was also found, as travelers noted increased awareness of cultural differences and self-reflection. Intercultural appreciation was evident with the finding that culinary experiences strengthened their cultural connections. Several barriers to learning were identified, with financial constraints (51.79%) as the most significant, followed by health and sanitation concerns (44.65%) and language barriers (37.50%). Cultural barriers were the least restrictive, impacting 20.53% of travelers. The study also assessed enjoyment and education in culinary tourism. finding that culinary tourism activities blend fun and learning. Most activities were viewed as both fun and educational, with visiting a cheese maker (86.61%) and a chocolate maker (85.71%) ranked highest. Eating at a food truck (55.36%) was perceived as the least educational while visiting a food museum (12.5%) was considered the least fun. These findings emphasize the role of interactive experiences in enhancing both engagement and learning in culinary tourism.