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

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.