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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………3

2. Aims and Objectives…………………………………………………...…...4

3. Literature Review………………………………………………………..…5

4. Methodology……………………………………………………………......8

5. Discussion and Findings …………………………………………………..12

6. Profile of Tourists…………………………………………………………13

7. Tourist Preferences………………………………………………………..16

8. Marketing Mix……………………………………………………………19

9. Food in Destination Marketing……………………………………………22

10.Recommendations and Conclusion…………………………………….…..22

11.References…………………………………………………………….……23

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We, Malehka, Anja and Josian would like to thank the lecturer, Mrs.P. Naidoo for giving us the

opportunity to undertake a Marketing research assignment. This has enabled us to emphasize on

team spirit and have better coordination in the delegation of work and above all, this study has

enhanced our knowledge.

A special thanks to all friends who helped and allowed us to carry our survey in different regions

of Mauritius.

We equally like to thank our respective work place for having given us the necessary releases to

carry out the surveys.

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1. INTRODUCTION

With the economic turndown since 2007, Mauritius as a 3`S (Sun, Sand and Sea) destination

have been using different strategies to sustain tourism growth. With fierce competition among

the 3`S destinations, Mauritius can use Culinary Tourism to add as a new niche market segment

to improve tourism arrivals and revenues.

It is high time for all Tourism stake holders to look into other types of tourism besides their

search for new market segment. Increased tourism demand and competition between destinations

have been attributed to the effects of globalisation. Destinations are competing in increasingly

contested markets with little to distinguish them from each other (Kotler, Haider and Rein,

1993). This has caused destinations to focus on distinctiveness of place by using local attributes

in the launching of innovative, new products and brands, which can help establish a more unique

selling proposition. With the new Branding strategy launched by the MTPA Mauritius “C`est un

plaisir” in October 2009, a new marketing mix can be then associated by this core identity.

Keller (2008) stated that Branding can be to identify and distinguish products and services,

therefore the 4`Ps of marketing mix being Product, Price, Promotion and Place can be used to

attract, retain customers.

In recent years, food has gained recognition by governments, business, and academics as an

integral part of the tourism product, and as a means of differentiation for destinations. There are

many benefits to be had in linking food and tourism for all stakeholders concerned. Local food is

a vital element that can help create a sense of ‘place’ and heighten destination appeal. Local

produce adds authenticity to the tourist experience and provides motivation for visitors to come

to a location (Sims, 2009). Tourists may even be tempted to stay longer in one place because of

the availability of food products and related activities (Hall and Mitchell, 2006). Tourism

provides an additional sales outlet for food producers and tourism-related spending on locally

produced food products helps to stimulate and revitalise local economies (Boyne, Hall and

Williams, 2003)

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1.1 Aim and Objectives

So the purpose of our study is to assess if Mauritius could be promoted as a Culinary

Destination. Through this study an analysis of customer profile that are looking for culinary

experience was made, also an evaluation of the status of culinary experience as a choice in the

selection of a tourism holiday destination. At last, we examine the perception of tourist in their

appreciation of local food.

1.3 Objectives of the study:

To outline profile of customer looking for culinary experience during their holidays or trip

To assess the importance of culinary experience as a choice in the selection of a destination

To examine the perception of tourist in terms of appreciation of local food

1.4 Outline of the Study:

The study consists of 5 chapters. Some of the chapters are described below:

Chapter 1: Refers to the introduction of the research, it highlights the problem statement,

the aim and objectives of the study and also a brief overview of each of the main chapters

that will be outlined.

Chapter 2: Consists of the literature review on Culinary Tourism, food tourism and

gastronomy tourism and their link to Tourism

Chapter 3: Relates to the methodology, on how to carry out the survey, the method used

to collect the data, the sampling techniques used and the data analysis.

Chapter 4: Consists of the results and discussions of the scores and analysis of the

questionnaire.

Chapter 5: Consists with the conclusion and the recommendation referring to the study.

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2. LITERATURE REVIEW

Growth in the tourism industry has been fast and furious in recent years, not

only in numbers of tourists and the growing number of competitors courting

the tourists’ time and money, but also in the fields of tourism. As eco-

tourism has evolved to increasing distinction on sustainability, a new field of

tourism is emerging in the form of culinary tourism. Dr. Lucy Long(1998)

first used the term culinary tourism in 1998 expressing the notion of how we

experience cultures through food (Wolf, 2002). She stated that “culinary

tourism is about food; exploring and discovering culture and history through

food and food related activities in the creation of memorable experiences”

(Long, 2005). Another meaning is provided by the International Culinary

Tourism Association, more closely identifying just what culinary tourism

includes: “Culinary tourism refers to the search for prepared food or drink

while in a travel context.” (ICTA 2006, 2004). This definition further

stretches the field of culinary tourism to be inclusive of agri-tourism activities

and may stem from urban or rural activities, restaurants, wineries,

breweries, or even roadside stands.

Due to the recent development of culinary tourism, little research in the area

exists. Some studies have stressed on food as a tourism attraction or tourist

experience (Hjalager and Richards, 2002 & Quan and Wang, 2003) and some

have looked at the profile of culinary tourists (Hall et al. 2003 & Wade and

Martin, 2005). Others authors have mentioned the potential of culinary as a

marketing tool for particular destinations (Kivela & Crotts, 2006) and

considered the economic impact of this new type of tourism (Deneault,

2002).

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Recent investigation has shown that holidaymakers spend almost 40% of

their budget on food when indulging in tourism (Boyne, Williams, & Hall,

2002). The 2004 Restaurant & Foodservice Market Research Handbook

states that 50% of restaurants’ revenue was generated by travellers

(Graziani, 2003). It shows that there is a reciprocal association between food

and the tourism industry. More importantly, food has been acknowledged as

an effective promotional and positioning tool of a destination (Hjalager &

Richards, 2002). Similarly, with increasing interest in local cuisine, more

destinations are focusing on food as their core tourism product. For example,

France, Italy, and Vietnam have been known for their cuisine.

Even though it is becoming a vital segment of the tourism industry, culinary

tourism is an area that has not been studied by many researchers (Hjalager

& Corigliano, 2000). Long (2004) emphasized that enjoying the food of

others is the way which one can really experience and accept different

culture without reluctance.

The importance of the link between food and tourism cannot be disregarded.

Each destination has different levels of pull factors that can draw tourists

from different countries (Au & Law, 2002). Authentic local food can attract

visitors to a destination. Using Getz and Brown’s (2006) application and

definition of wine tourism, we can say that culinary tourism can be

associated with travellers’ interest in the food of a destination. On the other

hand, the destination will use food as the main attraction and will develop

marketing approaches that will focus on the food. It is important for

marketers of a culinary destination to know the image currently held by its

targeted customers and how to affect their intention to visit through

effective marketing strategies.

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Further, Hobsbawn & Ranger (1983) discussed that cuisines that are highly

well-known for their taste and quality can be developed into tourist products.

In instance, Italian cuisine and wine has boosted the Italian tourism industry

(Hjalager & Corigliano, 2000). According to Riley (2000), the association of

national cuisine and tourism depends on the role of the cuisine in the social

culture that creates the national uniqueness. Thus, a destination can use its

cuisine as a marketing strategy.

Jones and Jenkins (2002) mentioned that food is not only a basic need for

tourists, but also a cultural component that can definitely present a

destination. Given that food can be used to project the distinctiveness and

culture of a destination, food consumption can be used in the development

of a destination image (Quan & Wang, 2004). In addition, food consumption

also contributes to the economy of a destination, and provides tourists with a

local experience. Hong Kong tourist arrivals were growing because of the

increasing number of restaurants that offer a large range of cuisines (Au &

Law, 2002).

Based on these perspectives, it can be claimed that local and regional food is

a feature that can add value to a destination (Telfer & Wall, 1996; du Rand,

Heath & Alberts, 2003). Food can bring economic income benefits to

government and hospitality business. It is important to consider the way in

which food can add to successful marketing of a destination (du Rand, Heath

& Alberts, 2003). Hall and Sharples (2003) differentiated food tourists as

―those who consume food as a part of travel experience and those whose

activities, behaviours and even destination selection are influenced by an

interest in food.

Concerning the strategies to attract or retain the customer in the field of Culinary Tourism, the

marketing mix will then be adapted to the Branding strategy Mauritius “C`est un Plaisir”. The

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four P’s of marketing mix enables the destination marketer’s to control this environment. Kotler

et al (1999) suggests that a marketer should build an actual product around the core product and

then build augmented product around core and actual product. Core Product refers to the

problem-solving services or core benefits that customers are getting when they buy some product

or consume food in a restaurant.

3. Methodology

3.1 Introduction

This chapter provides the methodology of the survey on profile of customer looking for culinary

experience during their holidays, the importance of culinary experience as a choice in the

selection of a destination and the perception of tourist in terms of appreciation of local food. It

elaborates upon the research instruments, the questionnaire design, and the target group,

identifies the analytical tool and also highlight the problems encountered during the survey.

3.2 Collection of Primary Data

The research method adopted for the project was surveyed through questionnaire since it was

identified as best means for collecting relevant, precise and unbiased information. For this

particular study, quantitative data was chosen as it is much easier to analyse numerical data as

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they do not require any conversion so as to be input in the system. Research by survey usually

involves the gathering of primary data by questioning respondents about their choice, opinion

and attitude in a particular field.

3.3 Research instrument

There are many research instruments that researchers use to carry out the surveys e.g. interview

and questionnaire. As mentioned above, the research instrument, used to obtain the necessary

data was the questionnaire. A Likert Scale questionnaire survey was the main instrument

providing quantitative data, and was designed to explore the respondents` answers

Veal (1997) list the advantages of the Likert method as the fact that the method is based entirely

on empirical data regarding subjects' responses rather than the subjective opinions of judges and

the fact that this method produces more homogeneous scales and increases the probability of a

unitary attitude being measured: as a result, validity (construct and concurrent) and reliability are

reasonably high; and lastly there is greater ease of preparation.

3.4 Secondary research methods for data collection

Secondary research is research based on secondary resources that already exist (Veal, 1997;

Jennings, 2001). Secondary research methods in the current study included, newspaper and

magazine articles, government publications, conference proceedings, reports, academic journals,

books, feedback comments, statistics and the World-Wide Web (Internet).

3.5 Questionnaire design

The questionnaire used for the survey comprises of 3 distinct sections, 1, 2 and 3, each of which

contains specific questions on tourist appreciation of local cuisine with emphasis on local

ingredients at the destination, tourist preferences in their country and in the host community and

finally the respondents’ general information respectively.

3.6 Questionnaire development

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The questionnaire consists of three parts. Part one comprises the personal profile of respondents

such as their educational qualifications, income level, gender and nature of job. Part two and

three of the questionnaire consisted of the questions that could help identifying their view about

Mauritian cuisine and so on.

For convenience of respondents, the scale of the questionnaire is developed on Likert scale that

is well tested in this type of studies. In this, every respondent is assigned options to choose as per

his/her or closeness to any one of the five alternatives. The respondents were asked to rank each

question on a five point scale ranging from one to five: one being the lowest score and five the

highest.

3.6.1 Covering letter

The main purpose of the covering letter attached to the questionnaire is to give the respondents

an insight of the nature of the study. (In Appendix A)

3.6.2 The Question Format

The nature of such study involves the use of technical jargons. Each section, therefore, contains

one or more headings that will guide respondents in filling the questionnaire.

A copy of the questionnaire is found in Appendix A

3.7 Content of questionnaire

The questionnaire has been divided into three sections which are illustrated in the table 1 below:-

Table 1: The content of the questionnaire

Sections Dimensions, being measured Question type

Section 1

General Information of Tourist Question 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4,1.5,1.6,1.7,1.8

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Section 2

Importance of Culinary Experience in their country and at destination

Question 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 ,2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7 Importance question and Likert scale

Section 3

Customer perception in terms of appreciation of local food

Question 3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.5,3.6,3.7,3.8,3.9 Likert scale

3.8 The Target Sample

The main purpose of sampling is to achieve representativeness; the sample should be assembled

in such a way as to be representative of the population from which it is taken (Jennings, 2001).

The aim of the study seeks to assess if Mauritius can be promoted as a Culinary Tourism

Destination. 200 questionnaires were administered among tourist, at the main beaches of

Mauritius, namely Grand Bay, Flic en Flac, Belle Mare and Mahebourg and also to cover the

four cardinal points of Mauritius and most tourist visiting beaches. The advantages of using

random sampling are that it is easier to organize, more reliable and less time consuming as

compared to quota sampling.

3.8 Sample size

While selecting the sample certain conditions were decided upon keeping in view the time and

resource constraint. In order to maintain relatively close personal contact with tourist, research

sites places were selected in Mauritius. According to Sudman (1976) suggests that a minimum of

100 elements is needed for each major group or subgroup in the sample and for each minor

subgroup, a sample of 20 to 50 elements is necessary. Similarly, Kish (1965) says that 30 to 200

elements are sufficient when the attribute is present 20 to 80 percent of the time. Since arrival of

tourist in September when doing the survey was according the Central Statistical Office 66,369 a

percentage of 1.33% representing 200 Tourists was taken in order to be cost effective.

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3.9 Pilot Survey

The main purpose of pilot testing is to catch potential problems before they become costly

mistakes. Likewise, for this study, a pilot test was conducted with 10 people. The 200

questionnaires were distributed only after receipt of all the 10 duly filled in questionnaires, with

no need to further adjustments.

4.0 Data Preparation

Data preparation began with checking the questionnaires for their completeness. These followed

the editing of data and provide guidelines for handling illegible, incomplete, inconsistent,

ambiguous or otherwise unsatisfactory responses. To maintain the highest level of ethics in data

processing, we put emphasis on discarding unsatisfactory responses.

4.1 Response Rate

200 questionnaires were initially distributed, yet only 175 were deemed as most convenient for

analysis. However, the remaining 25 questionnaires had to be discarded since these were either

partly filled in or simply not returned. Hence, response rate of 87.5% was registered.

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Question 1Gender Male Female

46% 54.28%Question 2

Age 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 >7524.57% 28.57% 17.14% 12% 8% 6.86% 2.86%

Question 3Continent Australia America Africa Europe Asia

12.57% 7.43% 33.71% 29.15% 17.14%Question 4

Household Income <10,000 10,000-19,900 20,000-39,900 40,000 - 59,900 60,000 or more5.71% 28.57% 42.86% 8.57% 14.29%

Question 5Expenses per day (Rs) <500 500-900 1,000 - 1,900 2,000-2,900 3,000-3,900 4,000 or

more0 26.86% 56.57% 8% 5.71% 2.86%

Question 6Type of Residence Bungalow/Apartment Business Hotel 1-2 Star

Resorts3-4 Star Resorts 4-5 Star Resorts

29.71% 4.57 46.86% 14.86% 4%Question 7Level of Education Completed

Primary Secondary Tertiary

44.57% 55.43%Question 8

Actual Occupation Employed Full time Employed Part time

Student Self-Employed Retired Unemployed Other

57.14% 1.72% 7.43% 21.14% 12.57% 0 0

Table 1: Profile of Customers

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Discussions and Findings

Section 1 - Profile of Tourists

More females (95) than males (80) participated in the survey. However, as per Central Statistics of Mauritius, we can note that for the year 2011 there were more tourist male (703.1) than females (655.9) who came to Mauritius. With respect to age, most tourists were between the age 25 and 34 and were mostly from the African Continent. Such an age can be associated to two major criteria: youth and not necessarily having engagements which engender major constraints. For the first point, it can be assumed that youth as an age is a potential factor which can encourage tourism. The taste of adventure and discovery being strong at this stage of human life, it can account for the interest of young people to travel the world as it satisfies such a need in them. This assumption can further be reinforced with the fact a lot of young people aged between 18 and 24 years of age also came to the island. Youth also have the benefit of not having permanent constraints such as marital life or family responsibilities. As such, this can also be decisive as it will allow them more freedom to travel abroad. Africa and Europe are the two major places from which tourist come as they are two places where Mauritius is heavily advertised and have direct flights to and from regularly. Africa also here includes regions such as the y Seychelles, Comoro Island, Madagascar, Rodrigues or even South Africa where a large number of people come from each year. As such, their choice of Mauritius is both a choice of proximity and knowledge. The heavy advertisement and good relations which Mauritius enjoys with European countries can be the major reasons explaining the heavy income of tourists to the island. The notion of sun, sea and beach is quite compelling with regards to European countries and weather. Even so, for Europeans, Mauritius is also a known choice in the sense that they have heard it from friends or relatives or have some knowledge of the island through the advertisement or leaflets or via the internet. Thus, for both categories of tourists, whether African or European, Mauritius is not unknown and it is a throughout thought decision to come to the island.

A majority of tourists has an income ranging from Rs 20,000 to 39,000 and they are willing to have daily expenses from Rs 1,000 to 1,900. The range of income is perhaps an indicator as to the fact that tourists who come to Mauritius are quite well off in their own countries; ranging from lower middle class (Rs 10, 000 to Rs 19, 000) to above classes (Rs 20, 000 to 39, 000). However, their prudent expenditure of money (Rs 1, 000 to Rs 1, 900) shows that they are not frivolous or may be pursuing a strict budget for their travelling. Perhaps, the current financial crisis can account for such a factor as the current financial situation is quite poor for many people across the globe. This is also reflected in the choice of accommodation of the tourists who prefers relatively cheap places to stay in: 46.86% for 1-2 start resorts and 29.71% for

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apartments and bungalows. In such a case, it can be deduced that the tourists coming to Mauritius are relatively budget oriented in their choice of accommodation and their daily expenditures though they do satisfy their desire to travel to other countries.

All tourists had a level of education and were employed with 100 working full time. The fact that the tourists coming to our island work full time 57.14% or are self-employed 21.14% is indicative. Both categories indicate job security, which allows the tourist to travel safely. They are eligible to have vacations or can take holidays on their own if they are self-employed. Moreover, some of them may have the advantage of Passage Benefits, which will allow them to travel at lower costs. The level of education may only enlighten us as to the positions held by the respective tourist having completed the questionnaire and the different post which they may be holding.

To conclude, from the above, it can be assumed that the tourists coming to our island are from the middle class and above, mostly Africans or Europeans, who are relatively young and who are cautious in the way they spend their money, even if most of them enjoy good working conditions. Furthermore, they are ready to make different compromise, such as the quality of accommodation, to enjoy their stay and satisfy their hunger for new adventures and discoveries.

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Section 2 A – Importance of culinary experience in the selection of a destination

Section 2 B – Importance of culinary experience in Mauritius

Is it you first visit to Mauritius 56.6% No43.4 Yes

How many visit you have undertaken before 80% 2-3 times11% 4-6 times9% more than 7 times

Do you eat in Fast food or Franchised or local Restaurant

64% eat in franchised or Local restaurant46% eat in fast food

Most appreciated cuisine in Mauritius 50.2% Chinese17.8% French16% Indian11% Creole9% others

Do you check local restaurant reviews or rating in Mauritius before eating

79% Yes21% No

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Cuisine like the most 57 % Chinese12 % Indian11% French and creole14% others

Availability of different types of cuisine is important when choosing a destination

91% not important9& important

Intentionally check local restaurant reviews or rating before travelling

88.5% not important11.5 Important

Does local cuisine influence decision before travelling

80% Not important20% Important

Is Mauritius food experience the prime reason for holidays

87% No13% yes

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Section 2. Tourists Preferences

It seems that the majority of tourists prefer the Chinese cuisine (99). The reason behind such a

choice would be that Chinese cuisine is readily available around the world and that it is quite

affordable to many tourists. Another reason undermining such a choice would be that the tourists

themselves are more prone to Chinese food in their homelands and as such, they prefer to

venture on a choice which is both secure and one which they know of. The same is applicable in

Mauritius where mostly Chinese cuisine has been more appreciated by the tourists. It must be

noted here that the history of the island and its attachment to China has resulted in predominance

of Chinese food in most restaurants and hotels. “Chinese restaurants can be found in almost any

city around the world” (David Y. H. Wu, The Globalization of Chinese Food)

However, it also points out to the fact that to some extent, some tourists experimented on the

local food in Mauritius, more particularly on Creole and Indian food because of the cultural

diaspora of Mauritius. . Indian (22), Creole (20) and French (20) food are practically on the same

scale, representing the number of tourists coming from Asian and African countries where such

kind of foods are also present. In this sense, we can conclude that to some extent, culinary

experimentation might not necessarily be the primary objective of tourists (as shown by table of

question 2), but it shows that while they are present in Mauritius, they are tempted by new

culinary experimentation. Consequently the Destination Marketing Organisation such as the

Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority can used food and drink in branding and promotion as

suggest by Bell (2007). Furthermore as an integral part of destination offerings, local cuisine and

culinary establishments are now recognized as important for marketing and branding a

destination.

The fact that a high number of tourists are in Mauritius for more than one time suggest that they

already know the island and some places. As such, for such persons, culinary related issues will

not be a problem since they will be experience used to it, reviewing Mauritius gastronomical

aspects would not matter much. Moreover, because of the trips offered by hotels and other

agencies, tourist would prefer to take fast food rather than eat in franchised restaurants so as to

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grab quick bites in-between activities. The fast food in Mauritius, especially those such as KFC

and McDonalds are known worldwide and tourist will tend to eat there as it is cheap and offer

trustworthy sources of food with a homely feeling.

The question as to whether tourists intentionally check-up reviews before taking their trips can

be interpreted two ways according to the data collected. While it seems that most tourist do not

check reviews intentionally, it can also be interpreted as leaving room for on-the-spot tasting or

eating of local dishes. The reason behind the poor number of people intentionally checking

kitchen reviews may be attributed to the fact that with the new trends of society and business, a

tourist is bound to be able to get food which he/she normally eats at home. For example,

Mauritian hotels and restaurants offer a wide variety of food on their menu, ranging from

American to Chinese food via Europe and India more particularly. In such a global context, it

would be quite useless to check reviews before going abroad. The importance of available

cuisine further expand on the above analysis since the knowledge that many places around the

world can offer a wide variety of food is sufficient to tourist not to bother about checking

culinary specificities of a touristic destination. In a sense, this is the case because of the essence

of tourism where we somehow try to make foreigners feel at home in a new place.

However, there is present in the data a certain number of people who would check the reviews

before coming to our island. This may be attributed to several reasons: fragile stomachs of

tourists or even distaste of spicy or rich food or perhaps these tourists are coming to Mauritius

for the first time and as such they wish to be familiar with the local dishes or other dishes

available. The feeble number of tourists interested in the culinary specificities of a touristic

destination is quite low as the culinary world is appreciated by very few people who travel for

such an aim. In the survey, it should be noted that those travelling ranges from 25 to 34 years of

age, it can be assumed that relatively young aged tourists would more indulge in other activities

related to the tourism industry rather than culinary ones such as mountaineering, Para-sailing and

other sports. For such a category of tourist, Mauritian food might not necessarily be a primary

objective. Nevertheless, there is present the eating of local dishes.

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Section 3 - Customer Preferences in terms of appreciation of local food

I tend to search for information related to culinary experience

89% agree11 disagree

I believe that local food can contribute to the attraction of Mauritius as a culinary destination

56% disagree44% agree

I purposely seek for experience involving local dishes and ingredients during holidays

84% disagree16% agree

Mu dining experience in Mauritius contribute to the overall satisfaction of my trip

92 strongly agree8 agree

Local restaurant offer reasonable prices in their menu 90.2% disagree9.8 agree

Local restaurants offer a variety of food with local ingredients

94% agree6% disagree

Local restaurants provide friendly atmosphere 98% agree2% disagree

Local restaurants offer good quality of food 73% agree17% disagree

Mauritius is a safe food destination and will therefore recommend to friends and relatives

86.2% agree13.8 disagree

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Section 3. Customer Preferences in terms of local food.

As mentioned in the previous section, many tourists will use the opportunity while on holidays in

Mauritius to taste local food even if the latter was not a priority on their list. Such a state of

affaire result perhaps from various sources: suggestions of tourist guides, exploring the cultural

diversity of Mauritius and cultural events or even when tourist travel on their own or

encouragement of local people to taste different food. As such, the eating or dining experience of

a tourist will ultimately contribute largely to his/her satisfaction of his/her stay on our island as

food satisfaction is one of the basic details in tourism. This is exemplified by table 4 in this

section where is shows that the majority of the tourist do count on culinary satisfaction as a

criterion to judge their stay in Mauritius.

On the other hand, most tourists think that the price of food is very high in Mauritius. This is due

to two main reasons; comparatively speaking, the price of food in other countries is cheaper than

that of Mauritius and the difficult economic conditions makes the locals sell food at high prices.

Moreover, Mauritians tend to sell things at higher prices to tourists because it is a common belief

that tourists are well off and they do not face money issues. However, while the prices may be

high, the tourists do agree that most restaurants in Mauritius or other eating places offer a wide

variety of food to both the locals and the tourists themselves and that there is a warm and

friendly atmosphere in most places where they would go to eat.

In the survey, it can be seen that tourists are both satisfied with the atmosphere of eating places

and that the quality of food is quite good as well. As such, since eating contributes greatly to

their general opinion of the destination, most of them would be willing to recommend Mauritius

to their friends as a destination to go to. In fact, since the experience was quite good to many,

they sought to return several times over.

Section 3 gives a more positive aspect to this research as it highlights the satisfaction and

appreciation of tourists. We can deduce that while most kinds of dishes are available at

practically many places in Mauritius, tourists do sometimes take risk in tasting local dishes. The

fact that other dishes are available just as in their home country gives a certain assurance in the

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fact that they can live in Mauritius without much trouble for them. The satisfaction derived from

culinary issues impacts positively upon their opinion and this can in a way ensure that tourist will

continue to come to Mauritius as satisfied tourists would recommend Mauritius to their friends or

may be renew the experience of coming to our island.

After the analysis of the findings, we can now use the marketing mix to achieve desired results

through skilful combination of four P`s.

This section will discuss the four parts of the marketing mix and how each can be adapted for

today's changing marketplace and thereon will meet customer demand and satisfaction. The four

parts are product, promotion, place, and price.

Product

Because of the increasing variety sought by consumers, many menus have undergone revisions

within the last few years. By changing product lines to include healthy choices such as baked,

not fried and alternative choices such as vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free, restaurants can target

consumers with special diet restrictions or preferences. Also, fun new ways of eating foods are

emerging to provide more variety and convenience as well. For example, many Mauritian menus

now include breads, faratas, dholl puris, which are hand-held and can be consumed on-the-go

(Hedden, 1997).

One way to incorporate more multicultural foods is to enhance new flavours to sauces or

seasoning packs. This offers an inexpensive way to test market different flavour mixes without

an overhaul of the menu. As new flavours become popular, whole entrees can be based around

the flavour mixes while still incorporating classical tropical or Mauritian ingredients and larger

portions.

The product component may also be manipulated to be tailored towards some of today's biggest

spenders: consumers under the age of eighteen. Offering kid-friendly portions; fun, brightly

coloured meals; and incentives such as toys included in the meal, should stimulate more business

from younger consumers.

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Promotion

The marketing mix can be updated through promoting and advertising products. Promoting

options that add convenience for the customer may gain new customers or repeat business.

Offering services such as full-menu take-out from sit-down restaurants or re-sealable packages

for easy clean-up from quick-service establishments may be just enough to persuade a new

customer to try a restaurant. Although a restaurant may be gaining business in take-out or drive-

through marketing, it may also be increasing future in-house sales, especially in cases of sit-

down restaurants or “table d`hotes” with very long wait times.

Alternative menu choices or expanded menus for restricted diets need proper advertising.

Advertisements showcasing these options can mean bigger profits and happier customers. Also,

restaurant reviews in newspapers and magazines can provide publicity for expanded menus.

Place-and-Price

Place-and-price in the marketing mix is affected to a minor degree by changes in eating habits.

Although consumers crave things such as convenience or kid-appropriate meals, the place-and-

price of meals does not need to be adjusted if the product (menu) has already been modified.

However, many fast food restaurant chains have felt compelled to offer special pricing based on

bundling meal solutions together. Today, value meals are an integral part of the fast food

marketing mix.

Place-and-price may also vary according to the physical environment of a restaurant. Current

statistics show that restaurateurs are spending more each year on interiors of their restaurants.

Most improvements fit under general interior design, but the largest increase has been in themed

restaurants or restaurants known for their atmospheres or food. Because of the increasing variety

of restaurants from which to choose, great food may not be enough to set one apart from the

next. Instead, owners are using atmosphere as an extra bargaining chip. Restaurant owners who

rely heavily on themes in their marketing mix face a real challenge in deciding what theme to

pursue and how to keep this theme relevant to the fickle restaurant-going public.

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6.0 Food in Destination Marketing

Good destination marketing is important because it is a tool by which the tourists’ expectations

can be managed (Quan and Wang, 2004). If expectations are unrealistically high then the tourist

will inevitably be disappointed with the reality. Food is seen as one of the key tangible and

intangible goods and services within a destination’s portfolio (Okumus et al., 2007) and can be a

primary motivation to travel (Quan and Wang, 2004). Given that eating is thought to be one of

the most pleasurable activities during a holiday, good food adds value to a destination’s image

(Okumus et al., 2007). The high importance placed upon food’s role in the attractiveness of any

destination can be linked to the fondness of source market populations for out-of-the-ordinary

food experiences, often sought at folkloric restaurants. This familiarity with the food is thought

by some to develop consumers’ tastes and commend destination cuisines to them (Okumus et al.,

2007).

Destination marketing presents the marketer with the challenge of increasing visitor numbers,

while ensuring sustainability. To attract tourists the destination has to be exotic, yet not offer any

threat; it needs an image of ‘safe exoticism’ (Okumus et al., 2007). Both food and tourism

imagery in the form of photographs in promotional materials are fundamental to ‘selling the

dream’ and attracting tourists to a destination. Well-produced promotion materials can positively

influence tourists’ decision making; ill-produced materials, however, can have a derogatory

effect and cause them not to choose a destination (Okumus et al., 2007). It is better to do nothing

than to do something in an amateurish way. Okumus et al. (2007) stated that an understanding of

tourists’ own culture is important to well-produced materials so that images congruent to their

culture and its prejudices and taboos can present the destination’s food appropriately.

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7.0 Recommendations and conclusion

Mauritius has come to a point where the Destination Marketing organisation must develop

strategies to attract tourist and also to have a competitive advantage. As part of our unique blend

culture, food can be a pull factor as we have beautiful beaches, a wide range of luxurious resorts

with an interesting blend of world cuisine in our small island. In line of this view, local cuisine

can be perceived as a ‘‘pull factor.’’ It can be used in the promotion and branding a specific

destination. Boyne Hall and Williams 2003, Cohen and Avieli 2004, Du Rand, Heath and Alberts

2003, Frochot 2003, Kivela and Johns 2003). Du Rand et al (2003) suggested that food can

contribute to the economic growth and competitiveness of a destination through agricultural

activity, authentic exploitation, attraction enhancement, empowerment, pride generation, and

branding identity. Cohen and Avieli (2004) claimed that resorts, hotels, restaurants can

contribute to the development of local cuisine to become popular attractions. With the emergent

success of television cooking shows, with renowned chefs, many people are encouraged to

embrace consumption of high-quality, locally grown produce. Considered by some as one of the

key elements of the tourist experience, both food and wine have received growing attention in

the literature (Hall & Sharples, 2003).

With this study, we can determine that even culinary tourism is not the prime reason for tourist to

come to Mauritius, the tourist would like to indulge in culinary experience while on holidays, it

is revealed in section 3 of the survey most of tourist would like to discover local food when

travelling to Mauritius. Therefore Culinary Tourism can be part of the promotion mix and could

contribute positively to the Brand Image of Mauritius.

Bessière (1998) stated that food can be an emblem, a sign of unity, a class marker, and an

emblem of a specific region. These representative characteristics are composed of the nature,

culture, and identity of a place. Consistent with this understanding of food, Frochot (2003)

stressed that local cuisine and culinary establishments can be used to fortify the uniqueness of a

destination in order to distinguish it from others on the global competitive marketplaces. In the

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25

last statements of our questionnaire most of the tourist indicated that they food was of good

quality and the restaurant provide with a friendly environment, also that they will recommend

friends and relatives to experience Mauritian Cuisine, with these testimonials it can be concluded

that the returning tourist will used word of mouth to promote the destination. Together with the

new branding strategy launched in November 2009 “Mauritius C`est un Plaisir”, Culinary

tourism could part of this destination branding, where food could be associated with “Plaisir”.

Culinary tourism is acknowledged as a way to perform local culinary culture, motivate tourism

demand, and boost destination competitiveness. Another aspect that can be used to promote

Mauritius as a Culinary Destination is to link cultural heritage with Mauritian cuisine; the

uniqueness of this cuisine is that it is a world mix cuisine, where food can be one of the features

on our cultural heritage. As eating is an integral part of tourism, all tourist must eat and drink

during their stay in Mauritius, with this concern food can plays a role in cultural exchange to

welcome visitors and provide an authentic experience for tourists. Culinary tradition is deeply

rooted in our culture, all Mauritian family is proud of this cultural heritage; therefore it will be

beneficial for all of us to share this food culture.

Furthermore we can conclude that food and tourism can be dissociated, as is a critical tourism

resource. Food could be both tangible and intangible product, in regards to benefit food offer

pleasure, entertainment and serves as a social purpose. Neild et al (2000) suggested that

gastronomic experience plays an important role in determining perceptions of and satisfaction

with the overall travel experience. Therefore Culinary Tourism is a possible competitive

advantage and it can be a core element in the branding of a country or destination by marketers.

A clearly defined gastronomic identity and heritage can be exploited in crucial processes of

differentiation and rejuvenation, helping to convey a unique sense of place (Fox, 2007). Food

can thus be central to destination development and a niche market, which, in turn, can be coupled

to overall economic advancement.

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26

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Marketing Research

Annexed A

CULINARY EXPERIENCE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear Sir/Madam

This survey questionnaire is for a research project being conducted by students in Bsc (Hons) Tourism and Hospitality Management at the University of Technology Mauritius.

During your stay in Mauritius, you had volunteered to take part in this study. This survey would help us to provide you, the visitor, with better products and services in Mauritius, thereby making your visit a memorable one.

Your participation in this survey is voluntary, but very important. Your answers are completely confidential and will be released only as summaries in which no individual’s answers can be identified.

Answering this questionnaire presents no risk whatsoever. Should have any queries please feel free to seek any clarification and ask any question regarding this project from the investigator.

All responses will be treated in strict confidentiality and will be used for academic research purposes only.

Your individual opinion is highly valued, therefore; if possible, do not confer with others during the completion of the questionnaire.

Thank you in advance for your valuable feedback.

Please note that there is no right or wrong answers; a quick response is generally the most useful.

30

Please respond to the questions by indicating on a scale from 1 – 5 where your experience lies or by ticking in the boxes provided for each statement.

PLEASE ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS

SECTION 1

1.1 Gender:

Male Female

1.2 To which one of the following age groups do you belong?

18 – 2425 – 3435 - 4445 - 5455 – 64

65

1.3 From which continent do you come from?

North America South America

East Europe West Europe

Asia Africa

Others

31

1.4 Which of the following cuisine did you like the most?

Chinese Indian

Creole

French

Others

1.5Would you be interested in Mauritian food experience as a prime reason for holidays?

Yes No

1.6 What is your approximate household income

Under Rs. 10,000 ( Euro 250/USD 325)

Rs10,000 to 19,900 ( Euro 250 /USD 325 to Euro 500/USD 650)

Rs 20,000 to 39,900 ( Euro 500/USD 650 to Euro 750 /USD 1000)

Rs 40,000 to 59,900 ( Euro 750/USD 1000 to Euro 1000/USD1300)

Rs 60,000 or more ( Euro 1250/USD1700)

32

1.6 How much do you spent for dinner on average?

Rs.500 – 900

Rs.1000 – 1900

Rs.2000 – 2900

Rs.3000 – 3900

Rs 4000 – or more

1.7 Where are you staying?

Bungalow and apartment

Business Hotel

1– 2 Star Resorts

3– 4 Star Resorts

5 Star Resorts

33

1.8 What is the highest level of education you have completed so far?

Primary

Secondary

Tertiary

1.9 Your actual occupation?

Employed full time Employed part time

Student Unemployed

Self Employed Retired

Others please state:

34

SECTION 2

Scale: 1 = very important; 2 = quite important; 3 = important; 4 = fairly important; 5 = not important at all

2.1 The availability of different types of cuisine at traveldestinations is important to me when choosing a destination.

2.1 The availability of different types of cuisine at travel as ‘culinary destination’.

2.3 Do you intentionally check local restaurant reviews or rating on food magazines /guides/ website before travelling

2.4 Does local cuisine for your selected holiday destination have influence your decision.

35

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

SECTION 3

3.1 I tend to search for information related to culinary experiences while on holidays.

3.2 I believe that local food and food-related experiences are an important part of a destination.

3.3 I usually dine at restaurants offering local / regional foods.

3.4 Experiencing food and beverages at a travel destination helps create a lasting impression of a destination.

3.5 Did you purposefully seek out a culinary experience involving local dishes and ingredients on your most recent visit?

3.6 My dining experiences are important to the overall satisfaction of my trip.

Thank You very much for your participation and for completing the ‘ culinary experience ‘ questionnaire.

Your participation and time are greatly appreciated.

36

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5