BACK TO BASICS: EXPERIENCING A DESTINATION THROUGH GASTRONOMY - THE CASE OF MADEIRA ISLAND

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to explore gastronomy tourists' wellbeing in Madeira Island, Portugal, particularly those who acknowledged this activity as the experience they most enjoyed. Methodology – Data was retrieved in 2019, and it is part of the "Wellbeing Tourists Project" developed in Madeira Island. From a preliminary sample of 475 tourists, 52 considered gastronomy their most enjoyed experience, composing this subset of participants the sample for the current study. Data collection occurred in-person (before the pandemic) and online. Tourists filled the Tourism Wellbeing Scale, which evaluates tourism experiences through positive Psychology variables [wellbeing (positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment), creativity, optimism, and spirituality]. Findings – Tourists from England/UK, Czech Republic and Portugal (mainland) considered gastronomy their top choice. Findings showed that a gastronomy tourist in Madeira is someone who first looks to have fun, acknowledges the experience as unique/original, and enjoys engaging with the local community. Logistic regression showed that the estimated odds ratio favoured an increase of nearly 53% for the Gastronomy experience every one unit increase of the Meaning variable. Contribution – Madeira has a unique cuisine with unique flavours, which can be an essential attraction factor for this destination, but it is considered a complementary product. This study highlights that gastronomy should be considered a potential to promote the Island tourism and that it can also be an essential factor to promote wellbeing and Madeira food heritage.