Emerging themes in food tourism: a systematic literature review and research agenda

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to review and categorise the body of existing research in order to better understand the state of food tourism. The primary objective of this study is to identify emerging themes in the area of food tourism and to highlight the relationships among them.Design/methodology/approachThis research consists of a systematic literature review of academic articles from the Scopus and Web of Science databases.FindingsTen themes of Food Tourism emerged from the analysis, i.e. Food Tourism and Local Food, Food Tourism and Sustainability, Food Tourism and Economy, Food Tourism and Food waste management, Food Tourism and Culture, Food Tourism and Environment, Food Tourism and Information Technology, Food Tourism and COVID-19, Food Tourism and Post pandemic consumer trust and Food Tourism and Tourism and Hospitality sector.Research limitations/implicationsThis study elaborates on the theoretical pieces of evidence on the connection between food and tourism. Not only limited to food tourism, but this paper also contributes to the literature in the area of economy, sustainability, post-COVID-19, food waste management, environment and technological innovations in food tourism.Originality/valueThis study contributes to a deeper understanding of the topic at hand. The study begins by systematically examining the topic to offer a thorough and in-depth analysis of food tourism. There is not a single study which has covered these many themes of food tourism, which makes it an important contribution to the literature.

Understanding the use of travel and restaurant platforms through the UTAUT2 model

“…(2021) state that word-of-mouth (WOM) communication influences the intention to visit or make reservations at restaurants. Likewise, Sujood et al . (2023) point out that one of the emerging themes in food tourism is related to information technologies.…”

“…In this regard, Arun et al (2021) state that word-of-mouth (WOM) communication influences the intention to visit or make reservations at restaurants. Likewise, Sujood et al (2023) point out that one of the emerging themes in food tourism is related to information technologies. Therefore, travel and restaurant platforms (TRPs) have positioned themselves as a competitive tool for an edge in the online booking segment, provided their variety and availability of varied and low-cost access, to benefit the customer (Liu and Zhang, 2014), also in terms of sustainability (Yang et al, 2022).…”

Guest editorial: Circular economy in the agri-food, tourism and hospitality industries in the post-pandemic era

“…On the basis of the results of a case study, the research highlights that industrial tourism in agri-business allows for a nexus between companies and local areas and can strengthen sustainable strategies and choices for organizations and customers, such as sustainable business tours as a mean of attractiveness for travelers. Sujood et al (2024) have reviewed and categorized the body of existing research to better understand the state of food tourism, with the objective to identify emerging themes in the areas of food tourism and to highlight the relationships among them. Moreover, the research provides insights in the field of sustainability, food waste management, environment and technological innovation in food tourism.…”

“…Sujood et al . (2024) have reviewed and categorized the body of existing research to better understand the state of food tourism, with the objective to identify emerging themes in the areas of food tourism and to highlight the relationships among them.…”