Chapter 8: The Gourmet Tourist

This chapter explores the gourmet tourist as a food tourist profile that seeks a fine dining experience in the context of ‘experiential luxury’. The growing role of luxury experiences in gastronomic tourism has positioned luxury restaurants as culinary ambassadors that influence food tourist behaviour. Based on the case of four Michelin-starred restaurants in Copenhagen (Denmark), results show that the gourmet tourist food experiences as seen by the restaurateurs are driven by three factors. Firstly, the source of the product and the stories behind the product. Secondly, the gourmet experience as a learning process. Thirdly, the memories embedded in the fine dining experience which rely both on people (the staff) and practices (the singularity).