CULINARY TOURISM AS A DESTINATION ATTRACTION: AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF THE DESTINATION’S FOOD IMAGE AND INFORMATION SOURCES By SHAHRIM AB KARIM Bachelor of Science in Hotel & Restaurant Management New York University New York City, New York 1994 Master of Business Administration Mara University of Technology Shah Alam, Malaysia 1999 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY July, 2006 CULINARY TOURISM AS A DESTINATION ATTRACTION: AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF THE ROLE OF THE DESTINATION’S FOOD IMAGE AND INFORMATION SOURCES Dissertation Approved: Jerrold Leong Dissertation Advisor Patrick Moreo William Warde Bill Ryan A. Gordon Emslie Dean of the Graduate College ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank god for giving me the opportunity to complete this study successfully. I am totally blessed with HIS mercy and reward that HE has bestowed throughout my life. Next, I would like to thanks my parents, Abdul Karim Salim and Sharipah Yusop who have given me their endless support and encouragement in achieving my goals. Also, to all my brothers and sister in Malaysia who have provided their love and confidence in me and particularly to Hafiz Abdul Karim. This dissertation would have not been completed without the support of many people who have been very kind to me. Their advise, guidance and patience have enriched my experience in writing this dissertation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my dissertation chair and advisor, Dr. Jerrold Leong, who has been very supportive and provided exemplary guidance and supervision to ensure that I complete everything in a timely manner. I admired his persistence and patience in dealing with students. My sincere appreciation is extended to other members of my advisory committee: Dr. Pat Moreo, Dr. Bill Warde and Dr. Bill Ryan, whose supervision, comments, ideas, constructive criticism, and encouragement will always be remembered. Everyone in the committee was very helpful and accommodating throughout my doctoral pursuit at Oklahoma State University. I would also like to thank Dr. Qu Hailin, Dr. David Najite, Dr. Christine Johnson, Dr. Beth Caniglia, Dr. Janice Miller, Dr. Michael Criss, Kelly Way, Sharon Gallon, and Cheryl Lafave for being there when I needed their assistance. There are also other friends and families that I would like to recognize in this iii endeavor. Their friendship and kindness were always granted to me: Allan and Muhrizah Brunken, Bret and Nani Johnson, Vincent and Sherry Johns, Mahmet and Crystal Baynay, Annmarie Nicely, Belinda Butler, Colette Johns, Victoria McLaurin, Marie Basler, Shahrul Ahmad, Md. Nizam Mahat, Gina Cousin, Kimberly Williams, Dr. Hamdin Salleh, Majed Nassar, Salleh Ashaghathra, Dr. Fahd Eissa, Dr.Mohammad Al- Ahmadi, Lyn Putnam, Dr. Abdul Aziz Bagabas, Muhammad Elyyan, Abdullah Al- Nassar, Abdul Aziz Al-Nassar, Fahd Al-Nassar and those who have provided me with unforgettable memories. Also, I would like to acknowledge my sponsoring agency, Public Service Department, Malaysia and Oklahoma State University, who partly provided me with the tuition waiver and for giving me a lifetime opportunity. Finally, I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my beloved brother, Ira Irawan Abdul Karim who passed away in October, 2002. Surely, I have missed him a lot. Hopefully, his soul is in paradise. Amen. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................1 Overview..................................................................................................................1 The Relationship between Food and Tourism .........................................................2 Information Search and Information Sources..........................................................5 Statement of the Problem.........................................................................................6 Objective of the Study .............................................................................................7 Research Question ...................................................................................................7 Research Hypotheses ...............................................................................................9 Significance of the Study.......................................................................................11 Definition of Terms................................................................................................12 Organization of the Study ......................................................................................13 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE……………………………………………………..14 Introduction............................................................................................................14 The Historical Development of Gastronomy.........................................................14 The History of Eating Out......................................................................................16 Foodways (Food Habits)........................................................................................17 Food Identities.......................................................................................................19 Food as a Motivating Factor ..................................................................................23 Food and Tourism..................................................................................................25 Previous Research on Food and Tourism ..............................................................29 Destination Image ..................................................................................................34 Previous Research on Destination Image .............................................................40 Information Search and Information Sources........................................................42 Theoretical Development of Information Search Behavior ..................................43 Previous Research on Information Search and Travelers .....................................48 Demographic Characteristics.................................................................................52 Summary................................................................................................................54 v III. METHODLOGY…………………………………………………………………56 Research Design.....................................................................................................56 The Conceptual Framework and Hypotheses ........................................................60 Target Population...................................................................................................61 Sampling Technique..............................................................................................61 Survey Procedure...................................................................................................62 Research Instrument...............................................................................................63 Validity and Reliability..........................................................................................65 Data Analysis.........................................................................................................66 IV. ANALYSIS AND RESULTS................................................................................68 Introduction............................................................................................................68 Response Rate........................................................................................................68 Focus Group Results..............................................................................................71 Analysis of the Research Questions and Hypotheses ............................................76 Research Question One..........................................................................................77 Factor Analysis ............................................................................................77 Regression Analysis.....................................................................................79 Additional Comparison across Countries .............................................................81 Descriptive Statistics .............................................................................................81 France...........................................................................................................81 Italy ..............................................................................................................83 Thailand .......................................................................................................85 The Potential of Visit to France, Italy and Thailand....................................86 Overall Destination Profiles.........................................................................87 Factor Analysis......................................................................................................89 France...........................................................................................................89 Italy ..............................................................................................................90 Thailand .......................................................................................................92 Overall Comparison