Tourism-Oriented Restaurants: The Interplay of The Collective Tourist Gaze and Destination Gastronomy Strategies

Samet Ak; Oğuz Nebioğlu

doi:10.30519/ahtr.1727027

Tourism-Oriented Restaurants: The Interplay of The Collective Tourist Gaze and Destination Gastronomy Strategies

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study explores the emergence and defining characteristics of tourism-oriented restaurants in Alanya, Türkiye, within the context of mass tourism dynamics and destination gastronomy strategies. Data were collected through focus-group interviews, document analyses, and participant observations. The research is theoretically grounded in the concepts of the collective tourist gaze and destination gastronomy tourism strategies. The findings indicate that the primary forces shaping the formation of tourism-oriented restaurants are mass tourism and the all-inclusive holiday system. Tourists’ demand for familiar food—driven by factors like food neophobia, desire for authenticity, information asymmetry, and time constraints—has prompted local stakeholders to develop restaurants with low investment costs and high-profit expectations. These restaurants are characterized by ambiguous concepts, standardized food presentation, pseudo-local dishes featuring simplified and vulgarized recipes, and strategies prioritizing visibility over cultural identity. They occupy a distinct position between global fast-food chains and culturally embedded destination restaurants. This study offers a contextual perspective on the emergence of tourism-oriented restaurants by showing how tourism can transform local culinary culture and restaurants.

Keywords

Thanks

We would like to thank all the participants who participated in the research and shared their experiences with us.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Tourism (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Samet Ak ^*
0000-0003-0996-0844
Türkiye

Oğuz Nebioğlu
0000-0002-3436-7754
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

October 16, 2025

Publication Date

June 8, 2026

Submission Date

June 25, 2025

Acceptance Date

September 29, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 14 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.30519/ahtr.1727027

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA79SM35RF

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Ak, S., & Nebioğlu, O. (2026). Tourism-Oriented Restaurants: The Interplay of The Collective Tourist Gaze and Destination Gastronomy Strategies. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research (AHTR), 14(2), 315-344. https://doi.org/10.30519/ahtr.1727027

AMA

1.Ak S, Nebioğlu O. Tourism-Oriented Restaurants: The Interplay of The Collective Tourist Gaze and Destination Gastronomy Strategies. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research (AHTR). 2026;14(2):315-344. doi:10.30519/ahtr.1727027

Chicago

Ak, Samet, and Oğuz Nebioğlu. 2026. “Tourism-Oriented Restaurants: The Interplay of The Collective Tourist Gaze and Destination Gastronomy Strategies”. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research (AHTR) 14 (2): 315-44. https://doi.org/10.30519/ahtr.1727027.

EndNote

Ak S, Nebioğlu O (June 1, 2026) Tourism-Oriented Restaurants: The Interplay of The Collective Tourist Gaze and Destination Gastronomy Strategies. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research (AHTR) 14 2 315–344.

IEEE

[1]S. Ak and O. Nebioğlu, “Tourism-Oriented Restaurants: The Interplay of The Collective Tourist Gaze and Destination Gastronomy Strategies”, Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research (AHTR), vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 315–344, June 2026, doi: 10.30519/ahtr.1727027.

ISNAD

Ak, Samet - Nebioğlu, Oğuz. “Tourism-Oriented Restaurants: The Interplay of The Collective Tourist Gaze and Destination Gastronomy Strategies”. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research (AHTR) 14/2 (June 1, 2026): 315-344. https://doi.org/10.30519/ahtr.1727027.

JAMA

1.Ak S, Nebioğlu O. Tourism-Oriented Restaurants: The Interplay of The Collective Tourist Gaze and Destination Gastronomy Strategies. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research (AHTR). 2026;14:315–344.

MLA

Ak, Samet, and Oğuz Nebioğlu. “Tourism-Oriented Restaurants: The Interplay of The Collective Tourist Gaze and Destination Gastronomy Strategies”. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research (AHTR), vol. 14, no. 2, June 2026, pp. 315-44, doi:10.30519/ahtr.1727027.

Vancouver

1.Samet Ak, Oğuz Nebioğlu. Tourism-Oriented Restaurants: The Interplay of The Collective Tourist Gaze and Destination Gastronomy Strategies. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research (AHTR). 2026 Jun. 1;14(2):315-44. doi:10.30519/ahtr.1727027