Gastronomic creative tourism: experiences in the Algarve region of Portugal.

Abstract In Portugal, gastronomy is also seen as a valued asset that can enrich the tourist experience and add value to the territories, differentiating them (Turismo de Portugal, 2017). In a mass tourism destination like the Portuguese region of the Algarve, a major sea and sun destination, gastronomy can contribute to a more sustainable tourism, helping to diversify the Algarve's attraction base and to reduce tourism seasonality. The satisfaction of tourists with the gastronomy experience in the Algarve was studied some years ago and the results show that it depends on three main determinants: quality and price, gastronomy, and atmosphere. The evaluation showed that satisfaction 'was very much related with gastronomy related factors, including local courses, originality and exoticness, and the presentation of food and staff. Quality, and price were also found to be an important influence on satisfaction although to a lesser extent than gastronomy' (Correia et al., 2008, p. 174). Atmosphere was considered a less important factor.