Consumer Behavior and Cognitive Factors in Relation to Gastronomic Tourism and Destination Marketing in Greece

Tourism has developed into a distinct phenomenon in contemporary times, primarily associated with leisure and consumerism. It is worth noting that tourism is both a noteworthy branch of economic activity and a remarkable employer of many employees since it employs a sizable number of jobless people and has a seasonal character of labor. Greek Tourism, in particular, contributes to the development of new employment at a time when other industries are struggling. Culinary tourism is a significant segment of alternative tourism, earning billions of dollars globally via the purposeful pursuit of authentic, unique culinary experiences, making food the ultimate travel motivation. The nations that place a premium on culinary tourism are developing marketing opportunities. Tourists’ desires to sample indigenous flavors in locations and hotels have paved the way for the growth of gastronomy tourism. The primary purpose of the study is to highlight the aspects of tourists’ consumer behavior and the cognitive parameters that lead their choice (decision-making) concerning their preference regarding the tourist destination, as well as, the perceptions of tourist operators regarding gastronomy and destination marketing policies applied. The present study employs a combination of primary research with a questionnaire and a review of worldwide and local academic publications and articles on the aforementioned subject topic. A critical component of completing the questionnaire provided to visitors was preserving the participants’ anonymity and ensuring that no personal information was collected to draw the right conclusions. Tourism enterprises have recognized the value placed on gastronomy tourism by domestic and international tourists, having included culinary elements into their facilities. There is also a general acknowledgment that tourism is handled in collaboration with all tourist-related foundations and civil society groups with the support of relevant ministries. Additionally, culinary tourism developers are expected to make measurable promotional efforts to address better the tourist preferences that influence their consumer behavior in connection to the tourism destination’s marketing policy.