International visitor encounters with local food : a preliminary conceptual model

Visitors are increasingly travelling to destinations for culinary experiences. Many destination marketing organisations have capitalised on the appeal of local food and associated dining opportunities to stimulate visitation. Such initiatives require a thorough understanding of visitor responses to their travel-related dining experiences. The present paper, which forms part of a doctoral investigation, aims to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework of international visitor dining experiences with local food by analysing the pre, during and post experience stages. The framework incorporates the influence of internal and external factors on visitor experiences. It is anticipated that the proposed framework will provide a more holistic understanding of visitor dining experiences in destination settings.