Kartika Thersia Simangunsong, Hanif Hasan, Pelliyezer Karo Karo, Muhammad Halfi Indra Syahputra, Mustika Permatasari, Samuel Hamonangan, Fatma Az Zahra

The Influence of Social Media, Tourist Experience, and Brand Awareness on Culinary Tourism in Lahat Hospitality Industry

Introduction

The influence of social media, tourist experience, and brand awareness on culinary tourism in lahat hospitality industry. Discover how social media, tourist experience, and brand awareness significantly impact culinary tourism in Lahat. Learn their combined influence on destination appeal & visitor satisfaction.

Abstract

Culinary tourism has emerged as a key driver in strengthening destination competitiveness, particularly in regions such as Lahat where authentic local cuisine is central to the visitor experience. This research explores how social media, tourist experiences, and brand awareness contribute to the development of culinary tourism in Lahat’s hospitality sector. A quantitative, explanatory approach was employed, involving 100 respondents selected through purposive sampling. Data were obtained via structured questionnaires distributed both directly at culinary venues and through online platforms, and subsequently analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression with SPSS.The analysis indicates that social media engagement, tourist experience, and brand awareness all exert significant positive effects on culinary tourism. Among these, tourist experience proved to be the strongest predictor, demonstrating the importance of food quality, ambience, and service encounters in shaping visitor satisfaction and loyalty. Social media was found to be effective in influencing travel decisions by showcasing user-generated and visually appealing content, while brand awareness enhanced destination recognition and encouraged word-of-mouth promotion. Together, the three variables accounted for 62% of the variance in culinary tourism outcomes, reflecting their combined influence in shaping tourist behavior and destination appeal.The study enriches the academic discourse by providing empirical evidence from an emerging culinary destination, illustrating how digital interaction, experiential value, and brand identity converge to promote sustainable tourism. From a managerial standpoint, the results emphasize the need for stakeholders to adopt digital storytelling, cultivate authentic culinary experiences, and strengthen Lahat’s gastronomic branding to secure its position as a distinctive culinary tourism destination.

Review

This study presents a timely and relevant investigation into the factors driving culinary tourism within Lahat's hospitality industry, an emerging destination whose unique local cuisine holds significant potential. Employing a quantitative, explanatory approach with data from 100 purposively sampled respondents, the research effectively identifies and quantifies the influence of social media, tourist experience, and brand awareness on culinary tourism outcomes. The findings, particularly the strong predictive power of tourist experience, coupled with the significant contributions of social media and brand awareness, provide valuable empirical evidence. The collective explanation of 62% of the variance underscores the substantial combined impact of these variables, offering a robust foundation for understanding tourist behavior in gastronomic contexts. A key strength of this paper lies in its focus on an emerging culinary destination like Lahat, which enriches the academic discourse by providing insights beyond well-researched regions. The emphasis on "tourist experience" as the strongest predictor is particularly insightful, reinforcing the critical importance of on-the-ground factors such as food quality, ambiance, and service. This finding offers a clear directive for practitioners and policymakers. Furthermore, the elucidation of social media's role in influencing travel decisions through visually appealing content and brand awareness's contribution to destination recognition and word-of-mouth promotion are well-articulated and provide actionable intelligence for strategic marketing and development efforts in the hospitality sector. While the study offers valuable contributions, there are avenues for further enrichment. Given the quantitative nature, a deeper exploration into the *qualitative* aspects of "tourist experience"—for example, specific cultural nuances of service encounters or the emotional responses evoked by "authentic local cuisine"—could provide richer, more nuanced insights beyond the current statistical associations. Additionally, while the purposive sampling yielded clear results for Lahat, a discussion on the generalizability of these findings to other emerging culinary destinations, or an acknowledgement of potential unique contextual factors, could strengthen its broader applicability. Future research could also consider incorporating mediating or moderating variables to further unpack the complex relationships identified, or employ longitudinal designs to establish stronger causal inferences over time.

Full Text

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a comment.