Analysis of Motivations of Foreign Tourists Behind Their Choice of Turkish Cuisine Based on Their Neophobic and Neophilic Tendencies: A Research in Istanbul

Authors : Meral ÜZÜLMEZ, Gürkan AKDAĞ

Pages : 540-552

Doi:10.24010/soid.720612

View : 19 | Download : 12

Publication Date : 2020-10-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study seeks to determine the impact of the neophobic and neophilic tendencies of foreign tourists on motivations behind their choice of Turkish cuisine. The population of this study consists of foreign tourists visiting Istanbul in 2018. In this study designed at an exploratory level, the data on the motivation behind choice of food were obtained through the scale developed by Kim and Eves insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(2012); and the data on neophobic and neophilic tendencies were gathered using the scale by Pliner and Hobden insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(1992);. This survey is face-to-face administered to the foreign tourists aged 18 and above who visited Istanbul between April 18th and May 10th, 2018 and had an experience of Turkish cuisine during their visits, using quota sampling. The data obtained from 667 surveys are analysed through descriptive statistics such as missing data analysis, multiple sling analysis, multiple normal distribution test as well as factor and regression analysis. This study concludes that the neophobic tendencies of tourists have a significant impact on the dimensions of cultural experience and sensory attraction, which are among dimensions of motivation behind choice of Turkish cuisine and that their neophilic tendencies have a significant impact on all dimensions of motivation behind choice of Turkish cuisine.
Keywords : Turkish cuisine, Neophobic tendency, Neophilic tendency, Istanbul