Analysis of the impact of traditional gastronomy on loyalty to a world heritage destination

The traditional gastronomy of a territory reflects the history and customs of populations that have inhabited it over time and left the imprint of their respective cultures. This research focuses on traditional gastronomy in World Heritage cities. It delves into the concept of visitors' loyalty to cities listed as World Heritage sites, with the aim of providing results that can help improve the management of the tourist destination in question. To do so, a questionnaire was given to a sample of 154 visitors to Córdoba, a World Heritage city. Structural equation modelling is then used to test, and ultimately confirm, five proposed hypotheses. The analysis includes traditional gastronomy as a factor that affects satisfaction with the destination, satisfaction with the restaurant and visitors' loyalty to the city. Results show that traditional gastronomy in World Heritage cities has a very significant influence on satisfaction with the destination and satisfaction with the restaurant itself. Consequently, this finding highlights the importance of supporting traditional gastronomy in those destinations that have it and promoting it abroad. In addition, a number of areas for improvement have been identified: enhancing the local population's awareness of their own gastronomy; the professionalization of gastronomy in restaurants' front and back of house; and highlighting the cultural legacy of traditional gastronomy and improving the information provided about it. Therefore, this study is important for the tourism management of heritage cities to make them stand out from other similar destinations.