The street food experiences of the local-guided tour in the meal-sharing economy: the case of Bangkok

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to understand the components of the street food experiences of the local-guided tour in the meal-sharing economy based on the online reviews of tourists who experienced a meal-sharing activity with a local guide in Bangkok.Design/methodology/approachBased on the qualitative approach, this study involved a content analysis of 384 narratives on Withlocals.FindingsThe study identified seven components that embrace the street food experience: a local guide's attributes, perceived food authenticity, local culture, perceived safety and novelty. Results also revealed that the Thai street foods are unique and authentic and can reach this experience level through a local guide.Originality/valueAlthough the importance of international travellers' street food experiences and the popularity of the meal-sharing economy platforms are rapidly growing, there is no study which had combined both of these phenomena together to date. It is the first attempt to reveal the components of street food experiences in a meal-sharing platform.

Thailand’s Image from the Perspectives of Chinese Non-Visitors and Visitors

“…For example, VT3 stated that 'I always wanted to have the experience of Thai street food, and it was the main reason for visiting Thailand'. Similar findings were also highlighted by Cifci et al (2021).…”

“…With this knowledge in mind, DMOs should develop standards and measures aiming to improve these issues. The study by Cifci et al (2021) reports that local guides play a significant role in promoting Thai street food and reducing perceived risks concerning its hygiene and cleanliness among visitors by informing them about Thai street food (e.g. background information, cooking techniques, interesting facts, recipes, etc.…”

The family experiences in the daily local-guided tours: Evidence from the sharing economy platform (Withlocals)

“…First, daily local-guided tours in the sharing economy have recently gained academic attention. Two studies focused on (Melián-González et al, 2019; Wang et al, 2016) which tours are offered for travellers and categorized these tours while only one study (Cifci et al, 2021) determined the key components of street food experience in the tours offered on sharing economy platforms. As one of the crucial tours in the sharing economy, family tours are intensively used by travellers.…”

“…A total of 867 reviews (included all online narratives) from 10 service providers were entered into Microsoft Word to be examined. In recent research, it was stated that + 350 reviews can aid researchers to understand travellers’ experiences (Atsız et al, 2021a; Cifci et al, 2021).…”

“…However, with the development of sharing economy platforms, these tours are started to organize by a local on these platforms (Wang et al, 2016) and heavily used by travellers (Atsız et al, 2021b). Although these platforms are preferred by travellers, limited studies from the experience perspective exist (Cifci et al, 2021). In particular, there is no research that investigates families' experience in such platforms.…”