A novel model for improving food tourism, environmental aspects and tourist satisfaction

Food tourism is a rapidly growing sector within the travel and hospitality industry, centered on exploring a destination’s culture, history, and flavors through its culinary offerings. Supply-side innovations, such as interactive food experiences, authentic local cuisine, and cultural immersion, are key drivers in the evolving landscape of food tourism. Research aims to explore the role of supply-side innovations in designing food tourism experiences and their impact on tourist satisfaction. Tourist data was gathered using a mixed-methods methodology. Quantitative data were gathered through surveys distributed to 152 tourists who participated in food tourism experiences. The independent variables include the type of innovation, level of engagement, service quality, cultural significance, and authenticity, while the dependent variable is tourist satisfaction. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), multiple regression, and correlation analysis, were conducted to assess the impact of supply-side innovations on tourist satisfaction. The findings indicate that key factors such as the type of innovation, level of engagement, authenticity, service quality, and cultural significance strongly influence overall tourist satisfaction. Tourists who reported greater emotional involvement in the experience were also more likely to recommend it and revisit it in the future. Research provides empirical evidence supporting the integration of food tourism innovations as a means to enhance tourist satisfaction and contribute to the sustainability of the industry.