Culinary Tourism and Night Markets in Taiwan

Chiung-Tzu Lucetta Tsai

《International Journal of Business and Information》 8卷2期 (2013/12) Pp. 247-266

https://doi.org/10.6702/ijbi.2013.8.2.4

並列摘要

This study investigated the culinary landscape of Taiwan by examining three of its most popular night markets with regard to three factors: (1) the role that food plays in the activities of foreign visitors traveling to their destinations; (2) the relationship between food and destination image; and (3) the connection between food and cultural performance. Structured, half-structured, and unstructured interviews were conducted with foreign tourists from North America and Europe (i.e., Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France), who visited the three night markets. Results of showed that Taiwanese night markets are ranked first on the itinerary of foreign visitors, ahead of even the National Palace Museum, and that most of the visitors went to a night market to ＂experience the culture and taste the food,＂ or ＂eat cheap and tasty food.＂ Most also agreed that night markets could be a critical element in destination image. Others stated that ＂gastronomy plays a big role in defining culture,＂ in that, when one likes the food, one might also like the culture. From this study, it is clear that, for most foreign visitors, the moment to enjoy food is also the moment to experience the culture of a night market. Results also showed that shopping at a night market could increase interpersonal interaction and thus enhance the relationship between local people and tourists. Given the popularity of local Taiwanese dishes among foreign visitors, it was also concluded that these dishes are the best way to publicize Taiwanese culture and customs. Since very few studies have focused on these issues, this study makes both theoretical and managerial contributions to the understanding of culinary tourism, particularly within the Taiwanese context.

並列關鍵字

Culinary tourism ； cultural image ； night market ； Taiwan

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