Coastal Gastronomy and Destination Image: a Multidimensional Scaling Analysis of International Travellers about a Tropical Seafood Hub in India
Coastal Gastronomy and Destination Image: a Multidimensional Scaling Analysis of International Travellers about a Tropical Seafood Hub in India

Summary/Abstract: The study aims to analyse the perceptions of international tourists on coastal gastronomy and its influence in the destination image of Kerala, India. The study adopted a descriptive research design using a structured questionnaire having semantic differential scale with bipolar attributes. Data was collected from international travellers from three coastal destinations in Kerala using convenience sampling. The data was analysed using Multidimensional scaling (MDS) technique. MDS develops a 2D perceptual map of the destination image attributes. The data has an excellent goodness-of-fit value. The results reveals that Kerala is strongly perceived as Authentic, Traditional, and Heritage rich destination with an emerging luxury and international appeal. However, there is a perceptual gap exists between “sustainability” and “authenticity”. The study contributes to destination image and gastronomy tourism literature by applying Multidimensional scaling, an advanced data analysing technique to understand the underlying image of a destination.

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