Encounters with Local Food: the Culinary Experiences of International Visitors in Indonesia

Visitors are increasingly travelling to destinations in search of culinary experiences. Food functions not merely as physiological sustenance but also as a destination experience enhancer, providing opportunities to learn about destination culture through direct encounters with local cuisines. Although a substantial amount of research has investigated food-related visitor experiences, such experiences have not yet been addressed from the theoretically comprehensive perspective of three stages of the visitor experience (pre-, during, and post-). Moreover, most research in this domain has been conducted in more developed tourist destinations, neglecting emerging destinations, including Indonesia. Considering these shortcomings, the overarching aim of this PhD project is to improve understanding of dining on local food that international visitors experience when travelling to a destination, using Indonesia as the research context