Addressing Culinary Challenges with Indian Cuisine: An In-Depth Evaluation of their Impact on Foreign Tourists’ Satisfaction

This study investigated the culinary challenges faced by foreign tourists in India and their impact on overall satisfaction with Indian cuisine. Conducted in Delhi, the research utilized a close-ended questionnaire and surveyed 240 foreign tourists, employing the Snowball sampling approach. Data analysis involved multiple regression to assess the significance of various culinary challenges. The findings revealed that unfamiliar food combinations, excessive use of oil/butter, lack of taste and aroma, and difficulty in pronouncing food names significantly reduced satisfaction levels. Conversely, factors like very hot and spicy food and service staff language barriers had a lesser impact. The study concluded that addressing these challenges through detailed menu descriptions, personalized service, and maintaining high standards of food quality and hygiene could enhance the dining experiences of foreign tourists. The research underscored the need for the Indian hospitality industry to focus on these areas to improve tourist satisfaction. Limitations included geographic confinement to Delhi, reliance on self-reported data, and the use of a close-ended questionnaire. Future research should expand geographically and employ mixed methods for deeper insights.