ORCID
- Jinhua Zhang: 0000-0002-0182-4306
Abstract
The shift toward experience-oriented travel has positioned food as a central driver forattracting visitors to sustainable destinations, directly supporting United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)11 (resilient cities) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption).While prior research has predominantly emphasised marketing outcomes, the role of bodily experiences in shaping gastronomic tourism has received less attention. This studyexplores how sensory elements (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch) and non-sensoryelements (including cultural meaning and service quality) jointly influence food-relatedtravel experiences. Twenty-five self-identified food travellers were interviewed in a UnitedNations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) City of Gastronomy,and their narratives were analysed using a three-stage grounded theory approach in NVivo12. The resulting model identifies four interrelated dimensions: (1) embodied experience,grounded in culinary memories and shared cultural narratives; (2) sensory stimulation arising from food and its surroundings; (3) situated embodiment, shaped by location, timing,and social interaction; and (4) environmental perception, encompassing food presentation,facility quality, cleanliness, and pricing fairness. These dimensions interact to enhanceoverall experience quality. By integrating an embodied perspective with a sustainabilityfocus, this study advances tourism experience research and offers practical guidance fordesigning multisensory dining environments, fostering environmentally responsible visitorbehaviour, and ensuring a balanced relationship between price and perceived value.
DOI Link
Publication Date
2025-08-12
Publication Title
SUSTAINABILITY
Volume
17
Issue
16
Acceptance Date
2025-08-08
Deposit Date
2025-08-26
Funding
This research was funded by Social Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province under Grant 23XWC001; Jiangsu Provincial Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program under Grant 202411117169Y; the Philosophy and Social Science Foundation of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions under Grant 2022SJYB2097.
Additional Links
Keywords
embodied cognition, embodied food experience, food tourism, grounded theory, multisensory perception
Recommended Citation
Pan, Q., Zhang, Q., Tian, J., Zhang, J., & Chen, Q. (2025) 'Embodied Multisensory Gastronomic Experience and Sustainable Destination Appeal: A Grounded Theory Approach', SUSTAINABILITY, 17(16). Available at: 10.3390/su17167296
