Description
This exploratory study was designed to help provide an understanding of Mexico's culinary tourism industry. A review of current literature offers context regarding culinary tourism and the ways it is emerging in various regions. Field research was focused on small businesses operating within Mexico's culinary tourism sector. All data was collected through a combined approach that included participant observation, semi-structured personal interviews with five small business owners, and surveys that were distributed to their clients. All of the business owners in the study operated cooking schools in the southern state of Oaxaca. The findings present information on each instructor's background, the successes, areas for improvement, and challenges of operating within Oaxaca's culinary tourism sector. They also highlight various components of the marketing mix. Interviews revealed that instructors differed in their educational, personal, and professional backgrounds and their reasons for starting a business in this industry were all distinct. Self-identified business strengths ranged from personalized attention offered in class, to the market tour experiences at each school. Common challenges included communication barriers, skill and time constraints, and fluctuations in tourism. Student surveys presented demographic profiles and feedback on satisfaction levels as well as perceptions of the cooking classes. Results revealed that the majority of students who participated in the survey were female, college educated, relatively well-off, and from the United States. Overall satisfaction levels with the five cooking schools were generally positive and students indicated that they enjoyed learning about regional specialties and traditional cooking methods as well as meeting new people. The study contributes to a body of research that has generated relatively little on the topic of culinary tourism and provides practical insights for small business owners, practitioners, and destination marketers
