Customer perceptions of Japanese foods in Italy

2019

Sustainability

Food waste is an important sustainability issue that needs to be addressed. Consumer behaviour is one of the biggest sources of food waste in developed countries. To successfully reduce consumer-related food waste, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of its major root causes at the level of the individual. The present manuscript presents the results of an exploratory on-line survey that was made available through Google Drive and conducted among a representative sample of 1058 Italian individuals. The information contained in the questionnaire related to the characteristics of the individual respondents, their attitudes to expenditure and food, and their opinions of measures to reduce or prevent food waste. Data analysis was conducted in three phases. The first phase allowed for the identification, with the application of descriptive statistics, of the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents and why, what, and how much they wasted. In the second phase, linear regression analysis and causal maps were used to both measure the statistical dependence between variables and to identify the main root causes of food waste in the phase of individual consumption. As expected, the perceived quantity of food waste that was declared by respondents was very low. Among the major root causes identified, the socio-demographic characteristics of consumers, types of food shopping purchases, and consumer behaviour played a key role. A causal map was drawn, which offers an immediate vision of the major root causes and can be a useful tool for policymakers who intend to introduce measures to combat food waste. Finally, participants’ responses showed that the main initiatives needed to eliminate waste are the separate collection and dissemination of more information on the impact that waste has on the environment. For these reasons, information and education policies are crucial for changing consumer lifestyles and raising awareness of the value of food.

Section: The Good Intentions Of the Respondents And The Actions Againmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Good Intentions Of the Respondents And The Actions Againmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Causal Maps to Analyse the Major Root Causes of Household Food Waste: Results of a Survey among People from Central and Southern Italy

2019

Sustainability

“…Indeed, in the literature, there are indications that online consumer reviews have a significant influence on travel information searches and product sales [11][12][13][14]. Online review websites allow consumers to search for detailed and reliable information by sharing their consumption experiences [15,16] with the aim of reducing their level of perceived uncertainty [17]. Therefore, on the demand side, visitors, also known as customers, consumers or buyers of any sector of tourism, are one of the most important components of tourism management.…”

Section: Customer Satisfaction and Online Reviewsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Customer Satisfaction with Farmhouse Facilities and Its Implications for the Promotion of Agritourism Resources in Italian Municipalities

Romagnoli

2020

Sustainability

The importance of a website as a distribution and promotional channel in the context of the tourism sector is increasingly relevant. Despite this, the availability of online reviews referring to agritourism resources is very rarely addressed in academic literature. This study investigates visitor satisfaction with farmhouses on the basis of online reviews available on the official websites of 397 farmhouses with educational farms associated with the Agritourism.it organization. Visitor satisfaction is important for successful destination marketing as it influences destination selection and the consumption of products and services. This study’s findings provide insights for consumers and agritourism operators with the aim of matching customer expectations to the types of agritourism on offer in Italian municipalities. On the demand side, according to the overall satisfaction with the specific characteristics of farmhouses as expressed by 10,864 visitors, the results of a Principal Component Analysis showed that the activities and facilities present in the surrounding natural and cultural areas of the farmhouses are the attributes with the highest visitor satisfaction scores. In contrast, on the supply side, the results of a Hierarchical Cluster Analysis showed different groups of farmhouses characterized by “homogenous” features and by a “homogenous” heritage of natural and cultural resources. Assessing visitor satisfaction and feedback can help managers to improve their service performance. For this purpose, the findings of the study reveal that the economic and environmental sustainability, among the other motivations, has shown to play a crucial role in influencing visitors’ frequency to learn about specific information concerning agriculture, the environment, and about issues regarding food, culture and the rural tradition.

“…One of the reasons behind the growth in popularity of online review websites is that they empower consumers by allowing them to share their experiences with others online, instead of having to meet them face-to-face (Sparks and Browning 2010). In addition, online review websites allow consumers to search for detailed and reliable information by sharing their consumption experiences (Dellarocas 2003;Yoo and Gretzel 2008;Fanelli and Nocera 2018) with the aim of reducing their level of perceived uncertainty (Ye et al 2009) and of promoting local food and gastronomy tourism (Lim et al 2019). Indeed, visitor satisfaction is important for successful destination marketing as it influences the selection of the destination, the consumption of products and services, publicity WOM, and the decision to return (Kozak and Rimmington 2000).…”

Section: The Role Of Online Reviews In Determining Visitor Destinatiomentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeking Gastronomic, Healthy, and Social Experiences in Tuscan Agritourism Facilities

2019

Social Sciences

There is a growing desire among tourists to improve their lifestyle and pass their vacations in areas with a strong local gastronomic heritage. Indeed, one of the most important factors that drives visitors to choose an agritourism facility for their vacation is the pull of good food and wine. This manuscript examines visitors’ evaluations of their time spent in Tuscan agritourism facilities with particular focus on the cuisine, the health benefits, and the social experience. The analysis is based on a representative sample of 1886 reviews posted by visitors from all over of the world on the websites of 60 agritourism facilities that operate in Tuscan municipalities. By exploring visitor evaluations, which consist of an overall rating of their agritourism experience and separate ratings for the cuisine, the physical environment, and the service, this paper expands the scope of previous studies into food and drink management development as a way of attracting new visitors, by providing additional information on the distinctive characteristics of the local cuisine on offer. Results indicate that visitors—above all families—prefer an agritourism facility that offers authentic local cuisine and beverages and also offers them the possibility of spending time outdoors in destinations with a rich culinary heritage. Visibility of the main attractive attributes of agritourism facilities and the local cuisine through websites is needed in order to drive consumers in their vacation choices and to allow these structures to consolidate their place in the food and drink market.