IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jtourh/v3y2022i4p51-837d929797.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Food-Related Behaviour of Tourists Visiting Greece

Author

Listed:
  • Georgios Lazaridis

    (Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Science & Education, Harokopio University, 17671 Athens, Greece)

  • Dimitris Panaretos

    (Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Antonia Matalas

    (Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Science & Education, Harokopio University, 17671 Athens, Greece)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyday reality and negatively impacted the global hospitality and tourism sectors. Even though food is an essential component of the tourist experience and the sustainable development of a region, research on the impact of COVID-19 on tourists’ food-related behaviour remains scant. By implementing a quantitative approach, data obtained from 847 tourists visiting Greece before or during the pandemic were analysed in order to compare these two periods. Findings indicate that during the pandemic, tourists had a more positive attitude towards food than before the pandemic and were more motivated to consume local food. As a result, they spent more money on food and were keener to taste local food and visit Greek restaurants and taverns. Despite the restrictions, the level of food satisfaction remained the same. It seems that this is a case whereby the risk perceptions created by COVID-19 were eliminated. The demand for quality food experiences was mainly interpreted as a search for culture and consideration of health concerns. Specific trends have been revealed in tourists’ food-related behaviours, which bear implications for a smooth transition to new and challenging circumstances. Researchers and food tourism stakeholders must set new goals, develop alternative forms of products and services based on sustainability, and, in general, adopt a new perspective to face future challenges.

Suggested Citation

  • Georgios Lazaridis & Dimitris Panaretos & Antonia Matalas, 2022. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Food-Related Behaviour of Tourists Visiting Greece," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-22, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jtourh:v:3:y:2022:i:4:p:51-837:d:929797
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5768/3/4/51/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5768/3/4/51/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    2. Yan Hong & Gangwei Cai & Zhoujin Mo & Weijun Gao & Lei Xu & Yuanxing Jiang & Jinming Jiang, 2020. "The Impact of COVID-19 on Tourist Satisfaction with B&B in Zhejiang, China: An Importance–Performance Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-19, May.
    3. Theodore Metaxas & Laura Juárez & Meletios Andrinos, 2022. "Measuring the Impact of Greece as a Safe Branding Tourist Destination: Evidence from Spain and Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    4. Timokleia Kousi & Lefkothea-Christina Mitsi & Jean Simos, 2021. "The Early Stage of COVID-19 Outbreak in Greece: A Review of the National Response and the Socioeconomic Impact," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-17, January.
    5. Chiara Rinaldi, 2017. "Food and Gastronomy for Sustainable Place Development: A Multidisciplinary Analysis of Different Theoretical Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-25, September.
    6. Hansen, Torben, 2022. "Consumer food sustainability before and during the Covid-19 Crisis: A quantitative content analysis and food policy implications," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    7. Bertella, Giovanna, 2020. "Re-thinking sustainability and food in tourism," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    8. Alexios-Patapios Kontis & Ioanna Kourkoulou & Eirini Vlassi, 2021. "Social Media During the COVID-19 Era in 5* Hotels in Attica, Greece," Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics, in: Androniki Kavoura & Stephen J. Havlovic & Natalya Totskaya (ed.), Strategic Innovative Marketing and Tourism in the COVID-19 Era, pages 223-231, Springer.
    9. Sigala, Marianna, 2020. "Tourism and COVID-19: Impacts and implications for advancing and resetting industry and research," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 312-321.
    10. Kyriaki Kalimeri & Mariano G. Beiró & Andrea Bonanomi & Alessandro Rosina & Ciro Cattuto, 2020. "Traditional versus Facebook-based surveys: Evaluation of biases in self-reported demographic and psychometric information," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 42(5), pages 133-148.
    11. Blanca Estela Bernal Escoto & Nancy Imelda Montero Delgado & Flavio Abel Rivera Aguirre, 2021. "Strategic Analysis of Sustainable Tourism in Baja California against COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-16, April.
    12. Agata Balińska & Wioletta Olejniczak, 2021. "Experiences of Polish Tourists Traveling for Leisure Purposes during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-14, October.
    13. Miao, Qing & Schwarz, Susan & Schwarz, Gary, 2021. "Responding to COVID-19: Community volunteerism and coproduction in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anna Jęczmyk & Jarosław Uglis & Jan Zawadka & Joanna Pietrzak-Zawadka & Monika Małgorzata Wojcieszak-Zbierska & Magdalena Kozera-Kowalska, 2023. "Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Tourist Travel Risk Perception and Travel Behaviour: A Case Study of Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-20, April.
    2. Chaojun Li & Xinjia Huang, 2022. "How Does COVID-19 Risk Perception Affect Wellness Tourist Intention: Findings on Chinese Generation Z," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-20, December.
    3. Oliver Cruz-Milán, 2023. "Loyalty in the time of COVID-19: A review of the literature in tourism destination settings," Post-Print hal-04014427, HAL.
    4. Akhter Shareef, Mahmud & Shakaib Akram, Muhammad & Tegwen Malik, F. & Kumar, Vinod & Dwivedi, Yogesh K. & Giannakis, Mihalis, 2023. "An attitude-behavioral model to understand people’s behavior towards tourism during COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    5. Gege Zhang & Xiaoyuan Chen & Rob Law & Mu Zhang, 2020. "Sustainability of Heritage Tourism: A Structural Perspective from Cultural Identity and Consumption Intention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-17, November.
    6. Amra Čaušević, 2023. "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Travel Behavior and Travel Mode Preferences: The Example of Bosnia and Herzegovina," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-32, July.
    7. Wenmin Wu & Chien-Chiang Lee & Wenwu Xing & Shan-Ju Ho, 2021. "The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Chinese-listed tourism stocks," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 7(1), pages 1-18, December.
    8. Maksim Godovykh & Carissa Baker & Alan Fyall, 2022. "VR in Tourism: A New Call for Virtual Tourism Experience amid and after the COVID-19 Pandemic," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 3(1), pages 1-11, February.
    9. Tiwari, Veenus & Mishra, Abhishek, 2023. "The effect of a hotel's star-rating-based expectations of safety from the pandemic on during-stay experiences," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    10. Yuan Li & Jiaqi Liang & Jingxiong Huang & Mengsheng Yang & Runyan Li & Huanxia Bai, 2022. "Would You Accept Virtual Tourism? The Impact of COVID-19 Risk Perception on Technology Acceptance from a Comparative Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-22, October.
    11. Kyungsik Kim & Yongdi Wang & Jianmin Shi & Wangda Guo & Zixiang Zhou & Zhaoyong Liu, 2023. "Structural Relationship between Ecotourism Motivation, Satisfaction, Place Attachment, and Environmentally Responsible Behavior Intention in Nature-Based Camping," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-22, May.
    12. Nguyen Thanh Long & Thanh-Lam Nguyen, 2018. "Sustainable Development of Rural Tourism in An Giang Province, Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-20, March.
    13. Heesup Han & Soyeun Lee & Jinkyung Jenny Kim & Hyungseo Bobby Ryu, 2020. "Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), Traveler Behaviors, and International Tourism Businesses: Impact of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Knowledge, Psychological Distress, Attitude, and Ascribed," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-18, October.
    14. Maela Madel L. Cahigas & Yogi Tri Prasetyo & James Alexander & Putu Lauterina Sutapa & Shannen Wiratama & Vincent Arvin & Reny Nadlifatin & Satria Fadil Persada, 2022. "Factors Affecting Visiting Behavior to Bali during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Extended Theory of Planned Behavior Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-18, August.
    15. Maksim Godovykh & Jorge Ridderstaat & Carissa Baker & Alan Fyall, 2021. "COVID-19 and Tourism: Analyzing the Effects of COVID-19 Statistics and Media Coverage on Attitudes toward Tourism," Forecasting, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-14, November.
    16. Maria Andersson & Ola Eriksson & Chris Von Borgstede, 2012. "The Effects of Environmental Management Systems on Source Separation in the Work and Home Settings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(6), pages 1-17, June.
    17. Tran Huy Phuong & Thanh Trung Hieu, 2015. "Predictors of Entrepreneurial Intentions of Undergraduate Students in Vietnam: An Empirical Study," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 5(8), pages 46-55, August.
    18. Clara Cardone-Riportella & María José Casasola-Martinez & Isabel Feito-Ruiz, 2014. "Do Entrepreneurs Come From Venus Or Mars? Impact Of Postgraduate Studies: Gender And Family Business Background," Working Papers 14.04, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Financial Economics and Accounting (former Department of Business Administration), revised Sep 2014.
    19. Peng Cheng & Zhe Ouyang & Yang Liu, 0. "The effect of information overload on the intention of consumers to adopt electric vehicles," Transportation, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-20.
    20. Sotirios Varelas, 2022. "Virtual Immersive Platforms as a Strategic Innovative Destination Marketing Tool in the COVID-19 Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-15, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jtourh:v:3:y:2022:i:4:p:51-837:d:929797. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.