EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS ON GASTRONOMY TOURISM PREFERENCES

Abstract

This study aims to explore the impact of demographic factors on the gastronomy image, gastronome experience, gastronomy satisfaction, destination satisfaction, and destination loyalty among foreign tourists visiting Kazakhstan. The universe of the quantitative research consisted of foreign tourists who visited the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan and experienced Kazakh cuisine. Data were collected through convenience sampling from 392 foreign tourists within this universe. A combination of face-to-face and online survey methods was employed to gather the data. Factor and difference analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses during the data analysis. The results revealed that tourists primarily visited Kazakhstan for business purposes, with most traveling three or more times, staying for four or more days, and residing in rented accommodations. Tourists who viewed promotional videos about Kazakh cuisine exhibited a positive image of Kazakh culinary offerings, demonstrated loyalty to Kazakh dishes, and expressed satisfaction with the quality of the destination. Additionally, as the number of tourists visiting Kazakhstan increased, both levels of gastronomic satisfaction and overall destination satisfaction decreased.