The flavor of history: a bibliometric insight into culinary heritage tourism research

Abstract

Culinary tourism, particularly when linked to culinary heritage and patrimonial food, has gained increasing attention due to its significance in shaping regional identities and promoting sustainable development. This paper offers an up-to-date overview of the evolution of research in this field, based on a bibliometric analysis of 381 articles from the Scopus database. By examining lexical, temporal, and co-citation networks, as well as the content analysis of these studies, this analysis highlights key trends and gaps. The findings reveal four major research areas: culinary tourist behavior, destination management and branding, the culinary experience, and the role of stakeholders. The study also emphasizes the need for further investigation into underexplored topics, such as the role of communication, event management in culinary tourism, and the complex balance between modernity (innovation) and authenticity. Additionally, it points to opportunities for future research related to sustainability and the ethical portrayal of culinary heritage. This analysis contributes to the theoretical understanding of culinary tourism and provides valuable insights for future research. Several appendices have been included to outline key topics in culinary heritage tourism and provide suggestions for future research.