PROSPECTS OF CULINARY TOURISM AT SELECTED TOURIST PLACES OF KOLKATA, FOOD CULTURE OF BENGAL: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE.

Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 58 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) PROSPECTS OF CULINARY TOURISM AT SELECTED TOURIST PLACES OF KOLKATA, FOOD CULTURE OF BENGAL: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE. Dr. Ramen Chowdhury (https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9510-2791) NSHM Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management, Durgapur, West Bengal, India INTRODUCTION Food is significant element in visiting the attractions or tourism. A huge number of Tourists voyage all over the globe to experience different types of cuisine and create unforgettable experiences through them. Although foodstuff can be the primary reason one travels; it plays a significant role in any tourist’s daily routine. While the inspiration of culinary tourism has been around for decades and it has received limited research attention. The existing research primarily highlights the consumer aspects, with limited focus on the trade or supply territory. The purpose of this dissertation is to present an innovative study in the culinary tourism field that develops and tests a comprehensive culinary tourism experience model from the supply sector perspective. While food, as an element of culture, is increasingly being used in many destination marketing strategies, most research on food-related tourism marketing has been conducted from the demandside focusing on food-related visitor experiences. Researcher aims to identify the significance and benefits of promoting local food as a powerful marketing device in tourism. Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world and there has been a steady increase in the volume of the tourism over the years. Food could be a main attraction or know-how for tourists and the term “culinary Tourism” came into being. Keywords: cuisine, culture, habit, diversity. Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 59 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) The word gastronomy is derived from Greek gastros, meaning stomach, and gnomos, meaning knowledge or law. Culinaria, on the other hand, is a term often used in the context of gastronomy that describes a region’s dishes, foods, and food preparation techniques, which gives rise to its distinctive cuisine. Culinary tourism is defined as a type of tourism in which the main objective is to explore and enjoy local delicacies, and gain memorable culinary experiences in the whole process. The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of culinary tourism by evaluating the impact on selection of attractions at a destination. Moreover, this study found that despite the increasing use of “local food in destination marketing, there is a lack of consensus over what counts as “local”. Accordingly, this study proposes four key dimensions representing different perceptions and judgments about what counts as “local”, as indicated in this study by interview participants as well as the review of the literature. In particular, in view of the increasingly important role of food, this study has identified the activities of cooperation and networking among and between public and private sectors as pre-requisites to the effective implementation of food in destination promotion activities. A tourist might want to visit an area to have some new cultural experience, or they just want to try local dishes and different tastes belonging to that area as well. As a result of this, such reasons as trying local dishes of an area and observing production phases of and tasting a local dish which is made of a raw material available only in that specific region have now begun to be among the main reasons that affect tourists’ preferences for destinations to visit. Moreover, this will contribute to the sustainability of the regions’ resources and also to alternative tourism facilities that can be structured in regions with food culture coming into prominence (Yuncu, 2010). Although food may not be the primary attraction, food is an important element for visitors who have other main reasons to visit a destination. Increasingly, having access to high quality locally produced food is becoming part of the expectations of travelers. In the case of Finnmark, Northern Lights and the Arctic nature are elements that are often perceived as the primary reason for visitation by growing tourist groups. Besides the nutritional needs of all tourists, food can also Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 60 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) function as a supporting element to the overall visitor experience. This study addresses the ongoing tendency of giving food priority in tourist marketing, products and destinations. In particular, the study focussed on the experiences and reflections done by a sample of local actors in food and tourism businesses. (Food as an element in developing tourist experiences A case study of the Finnmark region in Northern Norway — Alita Dagmar KristensenMasters thesis in Tourism Studies - June 2017) Ough, and Central Otago, dedicated committees of local stakeholders have been established to develop and promote regional opportunities that combine food and tourism. Despite this recent elevation of food in tourism, there is still work to be done to bring the relationship between food and tourism into focus. Culinary or Gastronomy is an art of living, the possession of skills and knowledge relating to food and drink and their preference, which gives the pleasure and enjoyment of eating and drinking. It is considered as a part of cultural tourism as tourists can enjoy the different cultures through local cuisines of the destination (Santich, 2003). Eating, which in today’s world is one of the physical needs and in relation with the developing tourism sector and food and beverage industry, has led to the emergence of a sector that has become to be seen as leisure time activities and desired to be met outside. Almost all tourists, no matter the accommodations at which they are staying provide food and beverages services or not, prefer to eat outside; and get to know and taste the local dishes belonging to the region. Within this context, local dishes of a region have become important means to get to know and learn more about a different culture (Kastenholz& Davis 1999; Gyimothy et al., 2000; Joppe et al., 2001). Gastronomy is now seen as a determinant factor in attracting tourists while they choose destinations. Gastronomic tourism can become an alternative tourism type on its own to sun and sea destinations, and it can also serve as an activity supporting these destinations (Shenoy, 2005; Kivela&Crotts, 2006; Ulusoy, 2008). It is multi-disciplinary in nature as it pertains to natural history, to physics, to chemistry, to cookery, to commerce, and to political economy (Brillat-Savarin, 1994). Gastronomy is somewhat Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 61 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) related to the word ‗culinary‘ which relates to the kitchen or cookery. Thus, culinary, gastronomic, or cuisine tourism involves learning about food and beverage products and different styles of cooking. It is about the discovery and enjoyment of different tastes and flavors and also links visitors with foods and beverages that are produced locally (Smith, 2001). It means that there exists a strong relationship between food, tourist and tourism. “A customer is the most important visitor in our premises. He is notdependent on us. We are depending on him. He is not an interruption in ourbusiness. He is a part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. But he isdoing us a favour by giving an opportunity to do so”.The above words stress the importance of customer in any business, whetherpublic sector or private sector. The Research Scholar has chosen the customeroriented industry and one of the largest foreign exchange earners i.e. theHospitality industry for the purpose of research an attempt has been made tostudy of the services, particularly food offered to the tourists and the role playedby it in the promotion of tourism. Tourism plays an important role in the socio economic development of ourcountry. It is also one of the major sources to earn foreign exchange. Thestrengthening of the existing infrastructures not only promotes tourism but alsoserves the local community as well. Tourism has become the second largestsource of foreign exchange revenue after readymade garments and jewellery.Tourism is acquiring an important position in the global economy. Tourismboth domestic and international takes place on a large scale. Modern tourism hasbecome a major economic activity in the world and India is no exception. Tourismis called smokeless industry because through tourism every country creates moreemployment opportunities, earns foreign exchange and propagates the level ofincome through tourism multiplier. The government of India belatedly realized the importance of tourism. Tourism - Definition Tourism refers to the business of providing accommodation & associated services to the people visiting places. Tourism involves two elements i.e. the journey to the destination & stay. Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 62 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) Tourism is a temporary short term moment of people of destinations outside the place of their residence. Tourism is undertaken for recreation, sight seen, pilgrimage for medical reasons, for adventure etc. Wolfe (2006) stated that “…food and drink are the most overlooked components of the travel experience, and I am convinced they still offer the greatest potential for further development in the global tourism industry”. Evidence would suggest that many share his view. The ensuing excitement to develop the food and drink components of tourism, has led to “dozens of definitions and interpretations… throughout the world” (Culinary Tourism in Ontario: Strategy and Action Plan 2005-2015, p.11). In developing their definition, Ontario stakeholders suggested definitions including: • Travel that includes the appreciation and consumption of local/regional foods • Travel for the primary purpose of experiencing and enjoying food and beverages or to attend culinary-specific activities such as cooking schools, visiting a food or beverage production/processing site, a farmer’s [sic] market, or a ‘taste trail’ • Unique dining and beverage experiences (Culinary Tourism in Ontario: Strategy and Action Plan 2005-2015, p.11). Types of Tourism The following are some types of tourism: Recreational tourism:Tourism is an often activity for recreational purpose. Most tourism took for a change and rest; this is the reason why package tours have become so popular. Environmental tourism:Rich and affluent tourist are preferred to spend more visits to remote places where they get pollution free airs to breath. Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 63 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) Historical tourism:Tourist is interested to know how our forefather lived and administered in a particular area. They visit heritage locations, temples, churches, museums, forts etc. Ethnic tourism:This refers to people traveling to distance places looking to their routes and attending to family obligations. Marriage and death bring people together to their native places. Persons who are settled overseas during later part of life visit place of their birth for giving boost to ethnic tourism. Cultural tourism:Some people are interested to know how other people or communities stay, survive and prosper. The kind of culture they practice their art and music is different from ours. So in order to acquire knowledge, understands culture well, to become familiar with the culture, they undertake journey. Adventure tourism:There is a trend among the youth to take adventure tour. They go for trekking,rock climbing, river rafting etc. They organized camp fire and stay under the blue sky. This tourism is meant for people with strong nerves who can tolerate stress. Health tourism:In recent years, health tourism has become highly popular. People visit nature cure centers and hospitals providing specialist treatment. Many foreigners visit India for treatment because similar services in their country are costly. Religious tourism:India represents multi-religious composition of population. Various package tours are organized to enable people to attend the religious duties and visit places of religious importance. E.g.Char Dhamyatra. Music tourism:It can be part of pleasure tourism as it includes moment of people to sing and listen music and enjoy it. Village tourism:It involves traveling and arranging tours in order to popularize various village destinations. Wild life tourism:It can be an Eco and animal friendly tourism. Wild life tourism means watching wild animals in their natural habitat. Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 64 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) Culinary Tourism as an Alternative Tourism Culinary tourism is an important marketing instrument in the marketing of destinations as it is a kind of tourism that can be performed 12 month of a year. Thus the destination can make benefit of advantages of tourism such as economic, socio cultural and infrastructure for twelve months. This indicates that the gastronomy tourism is an important marketing tool for the marketing of destination. Gastronomy tourism creates an efficient alternative for the new destinations that cannot have the benefit of “sea, sun and sand”. Gastronomy tourism adds in important added value to the destination in the creation of the touristic destination and creates a market of its own (Kivela et al., 2005). Gastronomy tourism, which is evaluated in concept of cultural tourism, involves in all tourism activities and it is considered as one of the alternative tourism types therefore it creates an alternative tourism out of the mass tourism and it develops in the world rapidly. Besides the traditional mass tourism, enriching alternative tourism types, meeting the demand on special interest tourism and increasing this demand, at the point of question of extreme competition environment provides important advantages to country, destination and enterprises. The Importance of culinary for Destinations In today’s marketing world where there is an intense rivalry, the marketing of destinations is a complex phenomenon as it has many difficulties with different purposes and expectations; and local cuisines are unique sources to develop, introduce and market a destination (Uner, 2014). When it is considered that gastronomic tourism is an indispensable and reflective part of developing and marketing a destination, tourists visiting a destination should be included in regional culture in all aspects. Gastronomic tourism activities that can be carried out at a destination provide direct and indirect employment and financial income (Sahin, 2015). Gastronomic tourism is considered to be very crucial in that it can make tourists’ trip a very unique one, help a destination shine and get a good reputation among others as well as showing that food and beverages consumption can have Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 65 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) symbolic meanings besides being just a physiological need (Calıskan, 2013). With this point of view, gastronomic tourism is an important indicator of tourists’ status and relates to what, where, when, and with whom they eat; so image making studies should be performed with great care paying special attention to these types of details as they have great importance in terms of marketing activities (Karim, 2006; Sahin, 2015). For the development, marketing and maintenance of destinations, it is observed that many precautions are taken to protect the richness of regional cuisines utilizing unique geographical, cultural, and climatic factors. One of the best examples to this is the control on the Barrosa beef in Portugal, where it is a must to feed these animals only with local feeds and grasses and not to give any other feed other than those of organic and local ones during the growth of animals, thus, this prevents the production of the same products in any other places providing a high rivalry advantage (Calıskan, 2013). In addition, gastronomy activities (such as gastronomy festivals, courses, museums, etc.), which take place to protect the gastronomy values of a region, play an important role in marketing of destinations. As a result, a successful gastronomic identity study is of utmost importance in that it increases the quality tourist population in a region and enables the visits to occur every season, thus both maintaining the cultural heritage and facilitating economic and socio-cultural development (Sahin, 2015). Culinary and Tourism – Relationship There are an array of uses for local food in regional tourism, ranging from meeting the tourist’s biological and functional need to eat, to the use of produce in regional tourism promotion to differentiate destinations and create a sense of ‘place’ through regional identity. Food may also add value to a core tourism product and become the focus for special events. Additionally food maybe used as a stand-alone niche attraction (Jones and Jenkins, 2002, p. 115), referred to by tourism writers as gourmet tourism, cuisine tourism, culinary tourism, or food tourism (Okumus, Okumus and McKercher 2007, p. 19). Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 66 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) Much of the current research on food and tourism has focused on food tourism, from the perspective of the food tourist, as a type of narrowly defined special interest tourism. Food has also been studied in the context of agri-tourism. For example, in a seminal work on food tourism, Hall and Mitchell define food tourism as: Visitation to primary and secondary food producers, food festivals, restaurants and specific locations for which food and tasting and/or experiencing the attributes of a specialist food production region are the primary motivating factors for travel. (Hall and Mitchell, 2001, p. 308) Hall and Mitchell (2005, p. 74) point out that this does not mean that any restaurant experience when travelling can be considered as food tourism, rather, the desire to experience the food, dish or cuisine must be the major motivation for the visit. In the above definition a distinction is made between “tourists who consume food as part of the travel experience, and those whose activities, behaviours, and even destination selection is influenced by an interest in food” (Hall and Sharples 2003, p. 9). According to Novelli (2005, p. 13), when the sole motivation for travel to a destination is according to particular needs and interests, the tourism experience falls into the category of ‘special interest’ or niche tourism. In recognition of the different roles that food may play in tourism, Hall and Mitchell (2005, pp. 74-75) have categorised the food tourist in relation to the importance they place on food as a motive for travel (Figure 1.1). The first high interest subset is gourmet/cuisine and gastronomic tourism. This is associated with expensive or ‘top end’ restaurants, wineries and festivals. Nearly all activities in this high interest grouping are food related. The focus of gourmet and gastronomic tourism incorporates culture, ‘sense of place’, landscape, health and wellbeing. In this instance food is of primary importance over other interests. The second subset of food tourism is labelled culinary. Culinary tourism encompasses more general food ventures as part of a wider range of lifestyle activities such as visiting a local festival or market. In this subset, food is of secondary importance to other interests. In the remaining categories, there is low interest in food, for example, visiting a local market or winery “because it is something different.” Hall and Mitchell (2005, p. 75) refer to this as rural/urban tourism. Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 73 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) produced food is becoming part of the expectations of travellers. In the case of Finnmark, Northern Lights and the Arctic nature are elements that are often perceived as the primary reason for visitation by growing tourist groups. Besides the nutritional needs of all tourists, food can also function as a supporting element to the overall visitor experience. This study addresses the ongoing tendency of giving food priority in tourist marketing, products and destinations. In particular, the study focussed on the experiences and reflections done by a sample of local actors in food and tourism businesses. A total of ten semi-structured interviews with company leaders was conducted in January 2017. The results from this case study indicate that local actors are experiencing growth in demand for food-related tourism activities from guests and customers visiting destination Finnmark. As already noted, while food experiences are not the main travel motivation factor, they have become a supporting argument that contributes to final travel decision-making. In addition, it is important that local traditions and industries of which food is a resource are acknowledged as an important element of the Finnmark destination experience. The shared stories and reflections of participating actors also identified obstacles and challenges associated with the delivery of such food-related tourism activities in Finnmark. Purpose of the research Indeed, there are several reasons why food tourism should be studied. First, researchers have found that food tourism is linked to a new demand in the experience economy. Therefore, by exploring food tourism, the results can be used to determine if food tourism is a tourism strategy worth developing and investing in. Second, food tourism has been associated with identity, authenticity and cultural heritage. Thus, by determining the consequences of utilising food tourism in the tourism market, the findings can be used to understand the tourists demand for such a tourism attraction. Third, research has found that about a quarter of tourists’ expenditure is food related. Hence, this study can reveal the importance of developing food tourism in order to increase the maximum potential of tourism revenue. Fourth, this study should be started due to the lack of systematic knowledge on food tourism in Norway. Thus, I hope this thesis will serve as a start to find useful and strategic guidelines to develop food tourism research in the regions of Norway. Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 74 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) To sum up this introduction, food engages new generations of tourists and seems to be an attraction co-created in the era of the experience-economy. Food tourism is a growing and recent concept in the tourism sector. In particular, for this study the term food tourism refers to “travel for the specific purpose of enjoying food experiences.” This definition is adopted from the most recent food tourism publication, “Foodies and Food Tourism,” (Getz, Robinson, Andersson, and Vujucic, 2014:6). However, it is important to note that this study do not explore travel for the specific purpose of enjoying food experiences, but explore how food can contribute to the tourist experience either as a supporting or peak experience, and how the tourist industry can use food as an enhancing element in their tourist product development. The limitations of this small-scale study are acknowledged. Nevertheless, it is hoped that this study may ignite a fresh approach to food as an experience in tourism. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research methodology is the specific procedures or techniques used to identify, select, process, and analyze information about a topic. In a research paper, the methodology section allows the reader to critically evaluate a study's overall validity and reliability. The present chapter deals with presenting information concerning research purpose, research approach, research strategy (design), case selection, sample selection (participants), data collection procedure, as well as instruments used to collect the data, data analysis framework, and quality standards including reliability and validity of the questionnaire used. Researchers doing quantitative study have an established conventional ‘model’ to work to, which comprises these possible elements: ▪ Overview of the Experiment/Design ▪ Population/Sample ▪ Location ▪ Restrictions/Limiting Conditions Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 75 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) ▪ Sampling Technique ▪ Procedures ▪ Materials ▪ Variables ▪ Statistical Treatment Study Location Study area defines your target segment. The location for this work is proposed to be limited to the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Target population All sites where data will be gathered are listed within this section. The target respondents comprised of tourists (International and National) visiting the State of West Bengal, the Locals of the various popular Culinary destinations and the employees of the various hotels. The universe comprises of both finite and infinite items. Hence, the sample has been carefully selected from both the categories so as to fulfill the requirements of efficiency, representation, reliability and flexibility. Sample Size:-(Krejcie and Morgan, 1970) formula for estimation of sample size has been used to determine sampling size: The formula is used by a lot of researchers more than any other formulas. The calculation is as followsWhere N= Population Size Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 76 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) e = Margin of error z = z-score p = P value According to the formula, the total number of tourist that will be used for the study is 313. The total number of employees selected was 20 from Terminal 3. The study used the proposed sample size at 95% confidence level and 5% margin of error. Table 3.2– Sample Size Determination from Total Population N S N S N S 10 10 220 140 1200 291 15 14 230 144 1300 297 20 19 240 148 1400 302 25 24 250 152 1500 306 30 28 260 155 1600 310 35 32 270 159 1700 313 40 36 280 162 1800 317 45 40 290 165 1900 320 50 44 300 169 2000 322 55 48 320 175 2200 327 60 52 340 181 2400 331 65 56 360 186 2600 335 70 59 380 191 2800 338 75 63 400 196 3000 341 100 80 500 217 6000 361 140 103 700 248 10000 370 Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 77 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) 160 113 800 260 20000 377 180 123 900 269 40000 380 200 132 1000 278 75000 382 210 136 1100 285 1000000 384 Source – Adapted from (Krejcie and Morgan, 1970), Determining Sample Size for Research Activities The data gathered from the questionnaires were summarised and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Sampling Technique The method used was sampling without replacement. The tourist after being selected and relevant data collected was removed from the sampling frame, and hence was not selected again. Data Collection The researcher proposes to collect data from primary as well as secondary sources and analyze them to draw conclusions. The present research would involve use of both primary and secondary data. Analysis would be done using various statistical tools to draw appropriate conclusions. The researcher proposes to use both desk and field work. Secondary Data The secondary data sources included published materials such as: • Books and journals, • Research Reports, • Brochures and pamphlets of different agencies, Reference manuals, Newsletters, Information brochures, Directories of SSI, • Manpower Profiles Yearbook, Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 78 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) • Research materials on women entrepreneurship, • Social Media and Websites Primary Data The primary data shall be collected through field surveys conducted by the researcher and a statistical investigator. The main instrument for data collection will be a questionnaire. For collecting primary data, the researcher proposes to administer a questionnaire to tourists (International and Domestic). Procedure for Data Collection The researcher proposes to develop questionnaires and administer them to the tourist in the various culinary destinations across the state of West Bengal. Data Processing Tools and Techniques The data collected would be subjected to scanning for reliability and consistency. The cleansed data would be analyzed by the use of various statistical and mathematical tools (SPSS 16.0 software). Correlation, linear regression and multiple regression and other statistical tools may be used to establish the relation between the various variables considered for this study. This would also include the demographic variables. Data Analysis Techniques The data was analyzed by using the Statistical Software Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 16.0 and also by using MS Excel. Quantitative analysis including frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation were used for the analysis of data. Pearson Correlation Coefficient analysis was used to test the significance of the relationship among the dependent and independent variable. Statistical Analysis Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 79 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) The statistical analysis consisted using the software SPSS (version 16.0). The initial stage was to first ascertain the reliability of the research instrument for study. This will be accomplished by conducting reliability analysis on the data. Descriptive Statistics: Descriptive statistics has been used which depicts a simple summary about the sample and the measures with simple graphics analysis and outlines the basis of almost every quantitative analysis of data. The following descriptive statistics will be used for the study. • Percentage Analysis • Cross Tabulation Inferential Analysis Inferential statistics are used to infer from the sample data what the population might think. We can say that inferential statistics is used to make judgments of the probability that an observed difference between groups is a dependable one and not by chance. The following will be used for the present study. Statement of the Problem People travelled to distant lands in order to see historic monuments or to have an adventure. Now, however, some people are heading to distant lands in order to eat historic food or have a culinary adventure. Food tourism is sweeping the world and is becoming something that everyone should know and understand. We’ve all seen the little tourist centers at the popular vacation destinations. You walk in and the guide will help you to find the best lodging, shopping, and things to do in the area. These tourist centres are a great help to someone who is unfamiliar with the area and just wants to enjoy the sites. Culinary shows have become the rage in most parts of the world. Shows like “Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares”, and “Top Chef”, are helping ordinary people to understand the ins and outs of all types of cuisine. Cookbook sales have gone through the roof, all because people want to attempt to recreate the dishes that they have seen on these television shows. One survey found that one among six of 150 million United States tourists took a food tour or tried a cooking class in another country while they were on vacation. Some of those people actually Volume-09, Issue 02, March-2025 www. meadowjournal.org Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly e-ISSN: 2584-1297 Meadow International Journal of Advancements in Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) International Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Referred Journal ©2025 www.meadowjournal.org Page | 80 Impact Factor: 4.4 (RPAI) travelled to their destination spot just to try the specific cuisine. There have been people that have travelled to New York City in order to eat from one end of the Big Apple to the other, and those who have gone “down under” just to have a steak off the infamous “Barbie”. Through this research a large number of studies was carried out for finding the potential of culinary tourism in and around Madurai District. This study undertakes the customers, who are travelling to Madurai are satisfied with the service of traditional foods offered by various organizations and other units. 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