Culinary tourism: Exploring sociocultural, economic and environmental impacts

Abstract

This study examines the multifaceted impacts of culinary tourism on sustainability across sociocultural, economic and environmental dimensions. Using a systematic literature review, it synthesises existing research while addressing challenges such as cultural commodification, environmental pressures and resource use. The novelty of this work lies in integrating sustainable tourism theory, experiential tourism theory and social exchange theory into a single framework, demonstrating how culinary tourism operates at the intersection of cultural experience, community exchange and sustainability outcomes. By positioning culinary experience as the central nexus, the study advances theoretical understanding and offers a tool for analysing culinary tourism’s impacts across diverse contexts. The findings contribute to theory by bridging frameworks previously applied in isolation and to practice by providing insights for policymakers, tourism operators and communities seeking to integrate sustainability into their culinary tourism strategies.