In the dynamic landscape of contemporary tourism, the symbiosis between digital technologies and culinary tourism is proving to be a transformative force. Culinary tourism, an evolving trend that reflects travellers' search for authentic and engaging experiences, intersects with the pervasive influence of digital technologies. The aim of this study is to explore and analyze this complex relationship with a focus on improving the visitor experience. The research begins by assessing the current landscape of culinary tourism in the digital age, uncovering trends and identifying transformation patterns. The research then focuses on the myriad applications of digital technologies in food and wine tourism. From mobile apps that offer real-time culinary recommendations to augmented reality platforms that immerse travellers in historical stories, the range of possibilities is enormous. However, integrating digital technologies into culinary tourism is not without challenges. This research identifies and analyses these challenges and provides insights into how to overcome obstacles and maximize opportunities. From regional differences in technology adoption to concerns about the authenticity of experiences, a detailed understanding of the complexities involved is critical. The significance of this study lies in its potential to inform and guide a wide range of stakeholders. From travellers seeking richer, more personal dining experiences to the corporations and politicians shaping the fate of destinations, the findings provide practical and theoretical contributions. With culinary tourism at the centre of the global travel narrative, this study sheds light on the future of using digital technologies to enhance visitor experiences and the sustainability and competitiveness of destinations around the world.
TopIntroduction
By integrating new information and communication technologies, tourist experiences can reach a new level. The range of ICT technologies that accompany tourists on any device and in any location maximizes opportunities by opening up new opportunities to create technology-enabled experiences at every stage of the customer journey (Januszewska et al, 2015), i.e., H. before/during/after the trip. In this process, ICT supports tourists in many activities, such as inspiration, initial information search, comparison, decision making, communication during trip planning, information search, and sharing and remembering travel experiences after the trip. This means that thanks to technology, the tourist experience is no longer limited to on-site services, but is expanded and dynamically implemented in physical and virtual experience spaces. Therefore, for tourism to remain competitive, one of the biggest challenges will be understanding how technology can be used as a catalyst for change to successfully create attractive and valuable tourism experiences (Huang, 2016). Tourism experiences take place in an industrial context that has traditionally been heavily dependent on technology and has long been heavily influenced by information technology design, both in terms of the use of specific interactive systems – e.g., B. Destination management systems, in-room entertainment, and self-service monitoring systems. In kiosks” or based on a general-purpose system used to provide or improve services e.g. supplier websites, mobile phone apps. It is therefore not surprising that tourism has quickly entered the emerging Industry 4.0 trend, which includes greater technological development in its tourism context. Tourism can be defined as a new ecosystem of tourism value built on a high-tech service delivery paradigm and supported by common industry principles (Smith & Ram, 2017), namely interoperability, virtualization, decentralization, real-time data collection and analysis, service orientation and modularity.
Hospitality is an old concept; it has existed since the 18th century. The term hospitality refers to the fact of being generous and kind to the individual. In a commercial context, the provision of food, drinks and accommodation is used for the traveler. Over time, the hotel industry has developed into an important job-creating sector also contribute to the country's economy. It is a global concept as disposable income increases nowadays; people are encouraged to travel to different destinations. In the 21st century, we have witnessed the development of digitalization in the hospitality industry (Verhun et al., 2022). Digital innovation has a wide spectrum and impacts the hotel industry and represents a significant opportunity to increase traveler comfort. In today's world, smartphone technology helps the customer to understand the innovative methods of hotel booking and hotel table booking. Restaurant, airport check-in, online payments, food ordering and home pickup, etc. Digital transformation has a decisive impact on modern companies (Buer, 2019). A good customer experience plays a very important role contributed to achieving the company's goal. The rapid development of tourism has contributed significantly to the regions economic; growth and the development of digital technology have allowed the customer to discover the wide range of options available. Today at, guests can view and compare hotel rooms, amenities, reviews and prices before arriving at their destination. It's just finished, is made possible by digital innovation. Portability and accessibility have made everything useful for the consumer. With the wise mañana tablets, all technology has changed. Innovation is not only important for survival, but also for livelihood generates long-term profit. New technological innovations have created transparency between buyers and sellers and paved the way for something new. The traveler’s mindset. Technological innovations are advancing rapidly and are leading to changing expectations in customers and the hotel and catering industry. Over the last decade, Millennials and Generation Z have increasingly used the internet. Often uses it to share emotions or experiences.