Polish-Lithuanian Border Cuisine as an Idea for the Promotion and Expansion of the Region’s Tourist Attractiveness

Abstract

Culinary tourism is one of the most rapidly developing forms of tourism in the world. The objective of this study is to evaluate the role of and tourists’ familiarity with cuisine in the area along the Polish-Lithuanian border. The survey included adult tourists visiting areas on both sides of the border between Poland (Podlaskie Voivodship) and Lithuania (Olicki District). A total of 789 questionnaires were completed, of which 759 were included in the study: 376 from Olicki District in Lithuania and 383 from Podlaskie Voivodship in Poland. The questions in the authorial questionnaire pertained to six dishes representing the most popular regional specialities in the area on both sides of the Polish-Lithuanian border. For all the responses, a five-point Likert scale was used. The results of the work show that tourists want to explore a given region by tasting local cuisine and that they are in search of unique products while paying much attention to the smell and taste of the dishes they consume. The product’s appearance is of less significance while making purchasing or consumption decisions. Flavour-related experiences associated with and preferences for individual dishes representing Polish-Lithuanian cuisine were very similar for both groups of respondents. It indicates there is a possibility of establishing cooperation to promote the products in the study area and thus enhance its tourist appeal.

The effect of food tourism experiences on tourists' subjective well-being

“…First, developing food tourism can be a viable option for destinations lacking high-quality tourism resources but seeking to promote tourism [ 10 , 15 , 112 ]. At the same time, developing food tourism and attracting tourists is expected to enhance tourists' food tourism experience.…”

“…It has a significant influence on tourists' choice of destination [ [7] , [8] , [9] ] and often the primary attraction for tourists [ 5 , [10] , [11] , [12] ]. As a result, many destinations strive to offer unique food experiences to gain a competitive advantage [ [13] , [14] , [15] ]. Consequently, food tourism research focuses on the impact of food tourism experiences on tourist behavior [ [16] , [17] , [18] ], which is a critical aspect of tourism destination marketing [ 19 , 20 ].…”

“…First, research on tourists' subjective well-being in the context of food tourism has not received enough attention. From the destination perspective, current food tourism research focuses on the impact of food tourism on the competitiveness and attractiveness of tourist destinations [ 5 , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] ], maintaining food authenticity and local identity [ 3 , 18 , 32 ], and promoting local economic development [ 17 , 33 ], and enhance future sustainable development [ 34 ]. From the perspective of tourists, previous studies have examined tourists' motivation to consume local food [ 35 ], their perceptions of local food [ 36 ], and the factors that affect tourists' food experience [ 32 , 37 ], and more studies focus on tourist behavior [ [16] , [17] , [18] ].…”