Links between food tourism and the local economy: A systematic literature review

• There is a scarcity of theoretical, empirical, and exploratory studies examining the impact of food tourism on local economies. • Another issue is the lack of research regarding stakeholders' perceptions of the gastronomy industry regarding their readiness to pay for local products. • When managed responsibly, food tourism can contribute to sustainable destination development. This research aims to examine the current literature on food tourism and its correlation with the local economy to ascertain its effects on destination economic development, identify significant gaps in the literature, and propose new areas of inquiry. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify, select, synthesise, and evaluate the existing literature. A bibliometric analysis was also performed using Wosviewer Software to examine the correlation among the selected papers' titles, abstracts, and content. Food tourism has emerged as a significant economic mechanism that supports sustainable local economies by implementing policies that promote local production and consumption, thereby contributing to the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals. Some gaps in the literature include the scarcity of systematic literature reviews on the influence of food tourism on the area's economy and the absence of research on consumers' willingness to pay for local products. To the best of our knowledge, this research is the first systematic literature review to rigorously examine the nexus between gastronomic tourism and local economic dynamics. By synthesising existing research and mapping the intellectual landscape of this emerging field, the study reveals its early-stage maturity. It underscores its growing relevance in the context of sustainable development. Furthermore, the study proposes novel hypotheses and outlines future research directions aimed at strengthening the theoretical and empirical foundations of food tourism as a driver of inclusive local development.