A value-added model in food tourism services: a case study of street food in Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

A Street food in Thailand offers food and beverage for local people in everyday life reflecting their own way of life and local culture and becoming a great tourist attraction. Bangkok is a case of this study where is one of the best cities in the world for the street food. Previous studies have shown that adding value to products and services can lead to a creation of memorable experience for customers. Indeed, the adding value is able to maintain customers and succeed a long-run for businesses. The purpose of this study was to create a value-added model in food tourism services in order to better understand and create international tourist’ eating experiences with the street food in Thailand. A mixed method was employed in this study. The data were collected from two sets of questionnaires and an interview forms. Each set of the questionnaire was collected from 390 non-Thai tourists who had recently visited Bangkok to consume street food and/or beverage items in the three selected areas (Khao-san Road, Yaowarat and Chatuchak Market). For the interview, there were 12 academics to obtain the suggestions and the conclusion of model of the research by using a purposive sampling for recruiting participants in this study. The findings indicated that the perceived value in the context of street food in Bangkok were categorized into four factors: Functional value (FV), Street Food and Beverage value (SF&BV), Emotional value (EV), and Trust value (TV). Tourists were impressed with the warm welcome and hospitality of the street food restaurant in Bangkok without their expectations before. The research models consisted of 7 essential elements: 1) being a good provider with the warm welcome, 2) a responsibility to different needs and wants of customers, 3) a sense of safety of food and service, 4) a good hygiene on food containers and eating equipment, 5) present “Thainess” through street food 6) Promoting and developing of public facilities, and 7) a good waste management.