Qualitative study of Yogyakarta palace culinary gastronomic tourism

Abstract

This study aims to explore in-depth information on the factors that become gastronomic tourist attractions of the Yogyakarta palace culinary. This research is qualitative research and data collection was carried out by interviews. In this study, the informants were the Yogyakarta palace’s gastronomic tourists and the Yogyakarta palace’s culinary managers. The data analysis technique used is a descriptive interactive model. These research results show that each restaurant has different concepts and segments serving culinary tourism services. The concept is presented with traditional and modern nuances. Each restaurant offers different advantages, such as private dinner programmes, home tours or different culinary service experiences. The segments of each Yogyakarta palace culinary restaurant are divided into tourists and the general public, although culinary managers focus more on overseas tourists. Based on domestic and foreign tourists’ perspective, the appeal of the Yogyakarta palace culinary tourism is the need for experience, curiosity, invitations, tourism information and a sense of pride. The responses given by the informants were related to experiences during the gastronomic or culinary tours of the palace, namely getting new experiences, fun, satisfaction, a sense of pride and willingness to recommend to others. Recommendations on the tourism office to introduce gastronomic tourism to foreign countries can boost the level of tourist visits. The palace’s culinary service providers need to provide a satisfying experience and historical services that stick in visitors’ minds by providing complete guidance and information regarding the historical and cultural value of food and its procedures.   Keywords: Culinary, gastronomy, palace, tourism.