The role of gastronomy criteria in tourists’ accommodation experience: an evaluation using the Analytic Hierarchy Process method

Gastronomy is important in touristic mobility. The study has been wondered which criteria, along with gastronomy, are effective in the accommodation experience of tourists and to what extent gastronomy is effective. So this study aimed to investigate the degree of impact of the criteria that constitute the accommodation experience on tourists’ accommodation experiences and reveal the effect of gastronomy criteria. The criteria that make up tourists’ accommodation experiences have been determined in line with opinions of field experts, the relevant literature and hotel review sites where tourists can share their experiences with the hotels they have stayed in and evaluate the hotel establishments based on these experiences. These criteria were determined to be gastronomy, location, room, sports and entertainment services, staff, cleanliness, and general services. To assess the impact levels of the criteria within the scope of the Analytic Hierarchy Process, a 9-point scale (1 was the lowest, 9 was the highest) allowing each component to be compared with other criteria was created. The geometric mean values of the criteria assessed by tourists (participants) staying in 5-star hotels in Alanya were calculated and their level of impact on the accommodation experience was determined. The results of the study showed that gastronomy with the sports and entertainment services offered by the establishment and the location of the establishment was among the top three criteria with the highest impact level among the seven criteria that affect tourists’ accommodation experience in the destination of Alanya.