Gastronomy Tourism Behavior and Opinion on Marketing Mix Factors of Foreign Tourists in Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

This study was aimed to explore food tourism behavior and to analyze opinion level on marketing mix factors affecting the decision to choose food tourism. Food tourism was defined as tourism for tasting, visiting, buying, and learning about food at food service areas. Data were derived by 150 questionnaires from foreign tourists in Chiang Mai Province and descriptive analysis was used for data analysis. The result indicated food tourism behavior that foreign tourists purposed to travel for recreation mostly, 65.33 per cent. However, they focused on tasting northern food and drink posting on social media at 24.67 per cent, buying food at 10.67 per cent, and learning to cook at 4.67 percent. The most favorite food was northern food in communities at 69.33 per cent and the reason related to the taste of northern food at 82.67 per cent. Foreign tourists mostly paid for food and drink at the average of lower than 300 baht at 23.33 per cent and upper than 1,000 baht at 21.33 per cent. They also preferred to involve activities about food at 85.33 per cent. In addition, the result indicated that the maximum opinion level of marketing mix factor affecting the decision to choose food tourism was the attribute of product and service especially delicious taste and local identity. The less opinion levels of marketing mix factors were place, promotion, and price, respectively.