The Influence of Rasht's Restaurants on Creative Food Tourism

Document Type : Research Article - Case Study

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

2 PhD student of Geography and rural planning, Department of Geography and urban planning, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

3 PhD student of tourism management, Department of Tourism Management Education, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

10.22124/gscaj.2025.29903.1347

Abstract

Creative tourism, particularly in the realm of food tourism, offers valuable opportunities for urban engagement, especially on a global scale. Food tourism not only boosts local economies but also highlights each city's unique natural, geographical, and cultural attributes. It is integral to many other high-revenue sectors, especially in developed countries. Promoting a city's traditions through its food culture is thus essential. Restaurant management, a crucial aspect of the tourism industry, satisfies tourists' culinary needs while serving as a key attraction in itself. Developing effective restaurant management practices can yield significant economic, social, and cultural benefits, contributing to sustainable tourism growth. In a descriptive-analytical study focused on Rasht, restaurant owners formed the statistical population, with a sample size of 107 from the city's 130 restaurants. Data were collected via questionnaires and analyzed using correlation tests, regression, and confirmatory factor analysis in SPSS and LISREL. The questionnaire's reliability, indicated by a Cronbach's alpha of 0.901, confirms its robustness. Results reveal that the service index has the highest average score (4.24), while the environment index scores the lowest (3.60). The environment index shows the highest correlation with creative food tourism (0.826), whereas the service index has the lowest correlation (0.560). Regression analysis indicates that the staff index, with a beta value of 0.402, significantly influences creative food tourism, whereas the ingredients and presentation indices, with beta values of -0.032 and -0.143 respectively, exert minimal impact.

Highlights

-Part of the nutritional style is the culture that governs the way and type of nutrition of the people of the society. This culture determines the food economy of families and their consumption patterns and affects the interactions, social and economic connections at the micro and macro levels.

- Creative tourism is very popular in social studies because it is known as a very suitable option for the development of developing countries and poverty reduction. The development of creative tourism is one of the strategies used by creative cities and the reason for this is the high alignment of this tourism with the development strategy of cities.

Keywords

Main Subjects


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