Effect of Local Foods Presentation in Hotels Menus on Hotel Preference: Gaziantep Example

Abstract

The money that they spend as a result of tourists visiting a city and tasting high quality and local food and beverage products is providing gain to the region as well as supports to the development of tourism sector. Gaziantep is one of the cities that stands out in terms of gastronomic tourism with its unique and rich cuisine. In our study; according to the comments of the tourists staying in various hotels of Gaziantep, it is aimed to determine whether the availability of local foods in breakfast or menus of the hotels is effective in choosing and recommending accommodation establishments. For this purpose; the opinions of customers staying in 17 hotels (five and four stars) in 10 hotel search sites were investigated. The opinions of tourists about breakfast and meals were evaluated by using content analysis. In the study, it was found that the majority of tourists (80%) wanted to find local delicacies in all the menus of the establishment, especially at breakfast. In addition, it was determined that rate of take into account of the presence of the local product and diversity in the product range of the menus was high as well as the hygiene and communication, when tourists preferring the business and recommending it to others.