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International Journal of Research in Tourism and Hospitality (IJRTH)
Volume 4, Issue 1, 2018, PP 27-32
ISSN 2455-0043
http://dx.doi.org/10.20431/2455-0043.0401004
www.arcjournals.org
International Journal of Research in Tourism and Hospitality (IJRTH) Page|27
The Impact of Street and Food Festivals in Gastronomic Tourism
through Visitor’s Emotions and Satisfaction. A Case of Abu Dhabi
Food Festival
Dr. Almaz Sandybayev*
Assistant Prof., Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi Men’s College, Faculty of Business, United Arab
Emirates
1. INTRODUCTION
Culinary traditions of the countries in the world have been laid down for centuries, as they were
influenced by a large number of factors, including the influence of climatic conditions and
geographical location, economic well-being of countries and the degree of influence of other cultures.
Gradually the ethnos of the country has been formed and as a consequence of this process the
formation of gastronomic features. When it comes to get acquainted with any country, the first to
come across is its culture. Undoubtedly, the food and rituals of its adoption are the most important
elements of the material culture of any nation. This statement is proved at least by the fact that people,
being naturally omnivores, eat differently in different national cultures. There is awell-known
statement, to know better the culture of the country - taste it. It is with this goal in mind that the new
trend of tourism is a culinary tourism that has taken a shape recently and emerged into a phenomenon
of gastronomic tourism. This phenomenon has been widely discussed (Hall, Sharples, Mitchell,
Macionis, and Cambourne, 2003; Hjalager and Richards, 2002; Honggen and Smith, 2008; Long,
2004; Wolf, 2002). According to Quan and Wang 2004, gastronomic tourism is an emerging
phenomenon that is being developed as a new tourism product, due to the fact that over a third of
tourist spending is devoted to food. Wolf (2002) pointed out that gastronomic tourism motivates
tourists to enjoy both food and unforgettable dining experience at the same time. In this sense,
destination and location play a significant role presenting gastronomic tourism as a key factor in the
competitiveness of tourist destinations through motivating tourists and in determining their choice
(Henderson, 2009). As a result, tasting local foods has formed an important path to enjoy the local
culture (Long, 2004), where Cohen and Avieli (2004) argue that local foods might be an attraction or
impediment to tourist experience. Within this framework, it becomes important to differentiate the
bridge between nature and the motives of human being and gastronomic experiences effecting factors
like emotions and satisfaction. Schmitt (1999 and 2003) discussed the role of a holistic experience
which resulted from the interaction of sensorial (sense), affective (feel), cognitive (think), behavioral
(act) and social (relate) experiences.
Abstract: Gastronomic tourism is a new trend in the development of world tourism which may serve as a fuel for
development of economy, cultural heritage and sustainable tourism growth. The research paper aims to analyze the
impacts of street food festivals by exemplifying the role of visitors through emotions and satisfaction factors. The
study has been focused on food truck festival in Abu Dhabi (the United Arab Emirates) in March-April 2017 that
attracted over 150 vendors - food tents, food trucks and local businesses. 320 random participants have been
assessed through a questionnaire during one week to test how location and satisfaction impacts on them. The
results implication proved that satisfaction positively impacts on visitor’s behaviors and behavioral intention. Every
gastronomic and culinary experience is a memory of the destination, every smell and taste strengthens and restores
memories of the place. Consequently, food and location are linked together, forming the basis that is included in the
modern development of the economy of impressions and gives the opportunity to see a new version of the use of
environment.
Keywords: Gastronomic Tourism, Destination/Place, Emotion, Satisfaction, Abu Dhabi.
*Corresponding Author: Dr. Almaz Sandybayev, Assistant Prof., Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu
Dhabi Men’s College, Faculty of Business, United Arab Emirates
The Impact of Street and Food Festivals in Gastronomic Tourism through Visitor’s Emotions and
Satisfaction. A Case of Abu Dhabi Food Festival
International Journal of Research in Tourism and Hospitality (IJRTH) Page|28
Thus, the aim of the paper is to analyze which role gastronomic tourism plays and how it is impacted
by understanding the key motivators of the visitor and determining their choice of destination
(Henderson, 2009). Another key objective is to identify visitor’s perception namely emotions and
satisfaction contributing to the positive or negative image created by a destination strategy. As a
result, it might be helpful for the gastronomic and touristic organizations to form destination's
positioning strategy (Ibrahim and Gill, 2005; Kivela and Crotts, 2006).
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Gastronomic Tourism
Gastronomic culture is a culturally specific system of norms, principles and patterns, embodied in (a)
cooking methods, (b) a set of products accepted in a given culture and their combinations, (c) food
consumption practices, and (d) overall reflexing over cooking processes and eating. The application of
this concept in cultural studies of food allows to give a structured description of food norms and their
historical, cultural and social conditioning, as well as to analyze the mechanisms of its distribution
and functioning in different cultural and historical conditions. As specified by numerous authors, in
order for tourism to develop in an area; depends on the society’s acceptance and efficient consume of
local traditions and sources (Eadington and Redman, 1991; Gezici, 1998; Williams and Shaw, 1995).
The importance of of culinary tourism was put forward and defined by Long (2004) as a global
activity in which people participate in “other” food culture, including tasting, consumption,
preparation and display food. Smith and Xiao (2008) agree that gastronomic tourism is a result of
tourists experience from appreciation and consumption of local food. They conceptualize the idea that
tourists are seeking unique food experience while on vacation. Wolf (2002) emphasized the relation
how motivation effects on tourists, when according to Hall et al. (2003: p. 308), food tourism is
defined as a type of tourism to attract tourists and make them to visit food producers, participate in the
gastronomic festivals and have dining experience. Thus, it is possible to admit that the purpose of
gastronomic tourism is to enjoy the specialties of the cuisine of a particular country through
unforgettable experience of enjoying the local recipes which for centuries absorbed the traditions and
customs of the local people and their culture of cooking.
2.2. Food Festival
The gastronomic tourism experience has been assessed as having multiple valuable effects on the
territory and its products. As noted by Corigliano (2002), gastronomic tourism searches for the local
food resources together with cultural and environmental factors, considering the number of players
involved as hotels, travel agencies, restaurants, bars etc.
In this regard, attending food festivals and gastronomic events have become interesting activity (Hall
et al., 2003: pp. 102-120). As noted by Gibson and Kong, 2005; McCann, 2002, local cultural food
festivals are impacting both on culture and economy. It is suggested, that festivals and food place
activities create an enormous opportunity for businesses and generate income as well as revenue of
the state (Huang et al., 2010; Dwyer et al., 2005). From another point of view, festivals and social
activities effect on society sustainability in regions and small towns (O’Sullivan and Jackson, 2002).
As a result, it stimulates creative interventions and planning activities that can affect local
development and regeneration processes (Klaic, 2002).
2.3. Emotion and Satisfaction
Motivational factors for the gastronomic consumptions have an important influx on tourist’s
behaviors and choices. Fields (2002) described the role of four factors attributed to motivation in food
consumption. Kim et al. (2009) has pointed out to the fact of using grounded theory and proposed
motivational factors including, demography and physiologic. Among those factors are: surrounding
atmosphere, prestige and status, sensory and sensual experience, authentic and exciting experience.
According to the authors Havlena and Holbrook (1986), experiential consumption is the main factor
that has an emotional nature. Consequently, the environment and surrounding may affect perceptions
and affective responses. Environmental factors perceived by an individual refer to both visible and
invisible stimuli, as an example to taste (Ulrich, 1983). Pleasure of food consumption and its
emotional condition relates to feeling happiness or joy, stimulating involvement, excitement,
The Impact of Street and Food Festivals in Gastronomic Tourism through Visitor’s Emotions and
Satisfaction. A Case of Abu Dhabi Food Festival
International Journal of Research in Tourism and Hospitality (IJRTH) Page|29
stimulation feelings. In addition, in case of gastronomic festival events, it is also entitled to classify
emotional experiences respectively relating to products and events, with a purpose to find out
potentially effect it may have (Rigatti Luchini and Mason, 2010).
An exquisite taste in food and an understanding of the subtleties of culinary art is all gastronomy. Its
goal not only to satisfy physiological needs but also to give a feeling of pleasure. Homburg and
Giering (2001) discovered that satisfaction is correlated to service evaluation and total experience.
According to Jamal 2004, satisfaction has been considered one of the key research fields in marketing
and consumer behavior. Consumer satisfaction definitions have either emphasized an evaluation
process (e.g., Fornell 1992; Hunt 1977) or a response to an evaluation process (e.g., Halstead,
Hartman, and Schmidt 1994; Howard and Sheth 1969; Oliver 1997; Tse and Wilton 1988).Different
authors, stress importance on the fact of relation between satisfaction and emotional as a cognitive
construction (Babin and Griffin, 1998; Bagozzi, 1991). Oliver, Rust, and Varki (1997) found that
positive emotions characterize higher customer satisfaction. Consequently, two main concepts in
cognitive feeling, emotion and satisfaction will be tested through this research.
2.4. The United Arab Emirates Gastronomic Trend
Gastronomic tourism has proved to be a rather profitable income of the state’s economy and not
surprisingly that a number of countries started to develop this trend even not been famous for its
gastronomic culture. All countries have equal conditions for the development of culinary tourism and
this is a unique distinctive feature of this type of tourism. Specific events and gastronomic festivals
which are periodically held around the world are very popular among tourists. For example,
September is the time of the Oyster Festival in Ireland and the Oktoberfest in Munich, July,
traditionally hosts the festival of Spanish national food San Fermin and Bonton - a tuna festival in
Italy, November is famous for Beaujolais Nouveau - a festival of young wine in France.
The United Arab Emirati cousin is considered one of the most delicious and refined traditional
cuisines in the world through which the people express their benevolence and generosity. Abu Dhabi
as a capital city hosts numerous food events and festivals during a year. One of the most famous is
Abu Dhabi Food Festival (ADFF) in December. Spread over 19 days, ADFF attracts foodies, families
and friends to enjoy not only cuisine from some of the best chefs but also some of the most
scrumptious street food available anywhere in the world today. Another event, Gourmet Abu Dhabi
features exceptional food experiences in a variety of world-class venues. Master Chef Events from all
parts of the world and Street Feasts are aiming to provide culinary experience and well known as
fastest-growing food, beverage and hospitality event in the MENA region.
3. METHODS
The proposed model has been tested through empirical approach on a sample of 320 random attendees
visiting 2017 Abu Dhabi Food Festival. Mobile food trucks were the main attraction for the gourmets.
The festival reached out to residents and visitors and creates a growing interest by an increasing
number of attendees every year. The questionnaires was randomly sampled and consisted 5-point
Likert scale. As seen from Table 1, demographic characteristics.
Table1. Demographic and descriptive characteristics of visitors (N 320)
Demographics
Frequency (N)
Percent (%)
Gender
Male
175
54.69
Female
14545.31
Total
320
100
Age Category
Under 30
96
30.00
Between 30-40
148
46.25
Above 40
148
23.75
Exploratory analysis proposed to focus on 2 key criteria of emotion and satisfaction. Together with
the choice of a 5-point Likert scale, this also has the advantage of justifying the use of structural
models for continuous variables. Table 2 indicates two indexes of emotional satisfaction and
evaluative satisfaction, characterized by high levels ofCronbach’s Alpha and the principal component
The Impact of Street and Food Festivals in Gastronomic Tourism through Visitor’s Emotions and
Satisfaction. A Case of Abu Dhabi Food Festival
International Journal of Research in Tourism and Hospitality (IJRTH) Page|30
analysis indicating one only eigenvalue higher than 1, with factor loadings reported in the last column
of Table 2.
Table2. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s Alpha (indicators) and factor loadings (items)
Indicator
Mean
SD
Alpha
Loading
Emotional Satisfaction
5.65
1.71
0.82
SFF makes me happy
5.35
1.61
0.82
SFF gives me enjoy
5.75
1.60
0.90
SFF provides me enjoy from shows
5.22
1.44
0.80
SFF gives me a pleasant feeling
5.45
1.70
0.84
Evaluative Satisfaction
5.35
1.21
0.83
SFF provides me what I was looking for
5.17
1.49
0.80
SFF satisfies my expectations
5.12
1.51
0.75
SFF gives me high satisfaction
5.05
1.56
0.78
SFF is a great experience
5.28
1.62
0.81
*(p > .05)
*SFF – Street Food Festival
4. RESULTS
The level of emotional and evaluative satisfaction reported by food tourists in relation to a street food
festival is significantly high. Utilizing a 5-point Likert Scale (1 = very dissatisfied, 5 = very satisfied),
all questions been presented at levels 4 and 5, with an average of 5.34. This preliminary signals that
the Street Food Festival is asignificant event where visitors and guests reported as being satisfied or
very satisfied. 92% of all respondents informed to be satisfied and happy with the event. There is a
symbolic correlation between the level of satisfaction with the age. The middle age group (30-40 yrs.)
expressed more satisfaction comparing to other age groups about SFF. In sum, the idea of street
festivals forms a great opportunity and impacts positively on satisfaction of the visitors.
Another important factor is in the face of increasing competition in the sphere of tourism and its
marketing, each region is in search of unique products. Local Arab cuisine is already a platform that
contains the necessary resources that can be used as a marketing tool to attract customers, promote
cities, regions and even entire countries. Abu Dhabi as a capital city of the UAE is an important
source of sustainable gastronomic tourism. Investing into this trends has a huge strategic advantage.
5. DISCUSSION
The paper aimed to empirically analyze the role of Street Food Festivals through satisfaction and
emotion indicators during Abu Dhabi Food Festival in December. The study tried to discover the
nature of satisfaction and emotion of the visitor to attend this event. 320 participants were examined
through a questionnaire. Based on this observation, behavioral intention was not only a satisfaction
reasonbut it is also connects to psychologicaland emotional aspect. In this context, the paper focused
to evaluate the relations between SFF as a place and visitor’s emotional condition.The results from
analysis highlight a direct positive impact that street food festivals and its types have on emotional
and satisfaction experience components. In the view of considering place (SFF), it is possible to
conclude that emotional and satisfaction aspects regulate the positive rapport between place and
intention. Obviously, it could be a significant tool to affect behavioral intentions by creating the
atmosphere of fun, joy and happiness which impacts on emotions of the visitor. Thus, creating
positive emotional background with a positive experience for the visitors certainly influence on
satisfaction and behavioral intentions of festival visitors.
6. CONCLUSION
The development of gastronomic tourism can be a promising area for any region and country, even
without significant tourist resources. Destination and place can be considered as a great element of
attracting gastronomic tourists. Food events and Festivals are a source catalyzers for a better
performance and tourism development. Thus, the study focused not only on investigating elements of
satisfaction from the visitor’s side but also to develop a sociocultural view and the specifics of the
representation forms of gastronomic culture. The culture produces deeper knowledge about the
The Impact of Street and Food Festivals in Gastronomic Tourism through Visitor’s Emotions and
Satisfaction. A Case of Abu Dhabi Food Festival
International Journal of Research in Tourism and Hospitality (IJRTH) Page|31
mechanisms of functioning of the culture of everyday life to clarify a number of general questions of
theory and the history. The analysis of gastronomic culture allows to reach out to more global issues
of identity formation, the translation of norms and values, the peculiarities of Arab culture and not
only. This suggestion confirms the fact that, gastronomic tourism can become the basis for the
development of tourism in many national regions of the United Arab Emirates and serve as great
example for other regions.
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Citation: Dr. Almaz Sandybayev. “The Impact of Street and Food Festivals in Gastronomic Tourism through
Visitor’s Emotions and Satisfaction. A Case of Abu Dhabi Food Festival" International Journal of Research in
Tourism and Hospitality (IJRTH), vol 4, no. 1, 2018, pp. 27-32. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.20431/2455-
0043.0401004.
Copyright: © 2018 Authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
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