Impact of gastronomic experience on the image of Continental Croatia as a tourist destination

Abstract

Although the attractiveness of the destination is the primary factor that influences the choice of travel destination, in recent times, the tourist experience and the experience of tourists are also greatly influenced by the gastronomic offer. In addition to the fact that tourists want to spend their vacation in a pleasant and safe environment, the experience they gain by consuming the authentic gastronomic specialties of a certain area is also very important for them. So, it can be pointed out that food also has an important influence on the satisfaction of tourists. Therefore, the authors of this paper analyze the gastronomic experience of tourists on the example of Continental Croatia, on whose territory there are already profiled tourist destinations with a developed gastronomic offer. Examining the attitudes of tourists about the indicators that describe the gastronomic experience based on well-founded research and studies, the authors of the study found that tourists who stayed in the area of Continental Croatia show a high degree of satisfaction with the gastronomic experience. It has also been proven that previous gastronomic experience is positively related to the destination image of Continental Croatia.