Food Culture as an Element in Promoting Punjab as a Tourist Destination

Abstract

Availability of special food ingredients or the food culture of a tourist destination is a key element in choosing travel destinations in today’s world. Food culture certainly claims a vibrant role in the consolidation, sustainability as well as enhancement of a tourist destination.  The paper aims to contribute to the culinary awareness leading to generate food tourism in India, specifically Punjab as research will be done in Amritsar, a city of Punjab, India. The methodology in this research involves surveys with foreign tourists (NRI’s) travelling Amritsar and having their luncheons and dinner at various restaurants and historic outlets in the city. Research results that a major part of total tourists emphasizes the culinary aspects to choose the travel destination. On the basis of responses received to the categorizing variables, tourists have been recognized as highly gastronomic tourists, gastronomic tourists and generic tourists. The study highlights the importance given to the food culture and the satisfaction achieved by the food availability at Amritsar.