Wang, SaeromLehto, XinranCai, LipingBehnke, Carl2024-04-262024-04-262018https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14394/48982<p>Saerom Wang is a Ph.D. Candidate of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue University. Her research addresses management of tourists' post-trip experiences and how tourists interact with a destination through food and social media.</p> <p>Xinran Lehto is a Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue University. Her research addresses how destinations can effectively market experience-based vacation products to unique segments such as family travelers. Much of her work is concerned with developing understanding of how tourists interact with a destination through leisure and hospitality experiences, and what outcomes and benefits tourism provides.</p> <p>Liping Cai is a professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue University. His research interests include destination branding new markets, rural tourism and quality of life, consumer behavior and experiences.</p> <p>Carl Behnke is an Associate Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue University. His research interests include Foodservice Operations, Food Safety, Culinary Education and Training.</p>Oral PresentationThis study examined American travelers’ experiences of what they consider as exotic foods at foreign destinations. Utilizing in-depth personal interviews of 40 American travelers, this research provides a first-hand account of what the experience of trying unfamiliar foods at foreign destinations are like. Three major themes of social interaction, cognition, and emotion and their sub-themes were identified to explain how travelers frame their local food consumption experience when travelling to an international destination.event