Do Local Food Provisions Affect Tourists' Selection Preferences? A case in the Greek Hotel Industry

The main objective of this study is to explore if and how local food provisions from a Greek hotel affect tourists’ hotel selection preferences. More specifically, aims to identify if the introduction of local food in a hotel’s menu establish it as the most preferred hotel choice option. Also, it is included an approach of measuring tourists’ willingness to pay a price premium for enjoying local food in a Greek hotel. Moreover, this research examines which is the most effective way of introducing local food in a hotel’s menu in order to be captured the highest possible price premium from tourists. The responses of 172 foreign tourists who visit Greece for leisure purposes in a questionnaire survey were analyzed by using descriptive statistics in SPSS. The findings in general, reveal an extremely positive tourists’ attitude towards a Greek hotel that serves exclusively local food. Age, marital status, number of children, income, duration of travel, season of trips, destination of trips, hotel rating, perceived quality and past behavior are factors that influence tourists’ willingness to pay a price premium for enjoying local food in a Greek hotel. The multivariate findings are expected to inspire efficient methods for capturing the highest possible price premium from tourists.