Travel and Tourism Research Association: Advancing Tourism Research Globally

Title of Paper

Encountering Exotic Cuisine on Foreign Lands: Narratives from the American Travelers

Presenter Information

Saerom WangFollow
Xinran Lehto, Purdue University
Liping Cai, Purdue University - Main Campus
Carl Behnke, Purdue UniversityFollow

Presenter Bios (50 Words)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Abstract (150 Words)

This 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.