An analysis on food tourism and its effect on a tourist's experience in Malta : a case study on why people attend local food tours

Abstract

Food tourism has experienced a considerable growth as a tourism product in the past years. Therefore the need to understand the market of this product has become essential in order to further enhance and grow the market itself within a destination. Moreover, comprehending the tourist who seeks such a product is also important, as without such tourists, there would be no growth. Having a good understanding of food tourism and the market of food tourism products, is of utmost importance as it will help companies or hosts understand what the tourists would consider attractive. The main aim of this study is to further understand the growing food tourism product and also the motivators of the tourists to use or experience such a product. In an effort to attain such an understanding, questionnaires were passed out during events held by Taste History in the National Maritime Museum of Malta. A total of 64 questionnaires were completed. Taste History was used as a case study to understand why tourists attend local food tours and what entices them. Throughout this research one will be able to better comprehend the motivations of the tourists who attended these dinners hosted by Taste History throughout the months of December 2019 to February 2020. By understanding this, one will also be able to relate the data obtained through Taste History and the data which was found through previously published material. The data obtained was discussed and analysed. Moreover this led to a conclusion which showed that several motivators are more effective and should be taken into consideration in order to attract more tourists. Any limitations or advantages which appeared were taken note of and any recommendations, which relate to the understanding of food tourism and consumer motivations, were discussed.