Role of Gastronomiques in Tourism:A Case Study of Domestic Travellers in India

The basic components of tourists' demand have always remained in and around three major aspects related to travel i.e. food, accommodation and the modes of travel. The culinary aspects of a region not only attract the tourist but also project the local culture as well as the food habits of the local inhabitants. Gastronomy: the art of good eating as described by French dictionary was initially used by a J. Berchoux in 1804 in his poem as the "enjoyment of food and drink at the very best". Gastronomy tourism or culinary tourism traces its origin to the white paper format presented by Eric Wolf President-WFTA (ICTA then) in 2001 when he realised the growing interest in food and wine and the potential of culinary tourism in driving local business. Culinary tourism refers to the travelling of people from their own geographical region to other with the aim of trying local cuisines for both enjoyment and learning purpose. India's long history and religious diversity has a tremendous impact on its Cuisine, which is a result of invasions by Mughals, Turks, Britishers and Dutch communities. The major objectives of the research were to find out the impact of a destinations cuisine on the travel decision of tourist, the factors affecting their food habits, role of cuisine in overall tourist satisfaction and their perception about India's potential as a food tourism destination. The research revealed that the destination's cuisine has a positive influence on the travel decision of the tourists and plays a major role in tourists' overall satisfaction. Though major factors affecting the tourists' food habits were found to be regional, cultural, and economical constraints, India largely posses a domestic food tourism market which is need to be captured at the earliest.