Barriers to the Development of Gastronomic Tourism: Their Moderating Role in Tourists’ Travel Decision-Making

This paper looks into the barriers to the growth of gastronomic tourism and their moderation power on tourists’ travel choice. Obstacles faced: The main obstacle is assumed to be the lack of infrastructure, as well as inferior standards of sanitation and hygiene, limited information, price volatility and poor promotion of the local gastronomy brand. Factors such as the difference in culture, eating habit and concerns of safety are also taken into consideration as well. The paper contends that these barriers do not always automatically lead to negative effects; indeed, they can also serve as a trigger to the interest of the tourists in some cases. Findings reveal the necessity to develop informal marketing, enhance service quality and information accessibility in forming gastronomic tourism development strategies.