Assessment of Motivational Factors of Local Food Consumption by International Visitors to Bodrum

Tourists want to discover the authentic life of their homestays and local flavors and regional tastes, while giving them an opportunity to enjoy their meal. It can be said that the eating and drinking element is the most important issue in the sector both for tourists and practitioners. This research was carried out with the aim of determining the motivation factors in the consumption of local food from the international visit to Bodrum. Within the scope of the survey, survey technique was used to collect data from tourists coming to Bodrum between August and October 2017. 385 data were collected from participants and local food consumption motivations of tourists were analyzed. According to the analysis results; four motivation factors for foreign food consumption motivation of foreign tourists were determined. These factors are "Cultural Experience", "Social Interaction", "Search for Excitement" and "Sensory Attractiveness" factors. It is expected that international travel will contribute to the identification of motivations for the consumption of local food, the presentation of the local food as a cultural element, the preservation of it, the attraction of touristic attraction, and the development of strategies for businesses to increase their activities on this field