The online role of culinary tourism for the sustainable development of tourist destinations. An international cross-country analysis

Culinary tourism (CT) is a relevant part of the promotion of a tourist destination and its sustainability. It preserves and enhances the territorial heritage, ensures the authenticity of the place, and stimulates the sustainable development of the tourist destination. In the current pandemic context, there is a growing awareness of the need to implement sustainability practices. Several implementations are currently underway thanks to the high degree of digitisation in all aspects of communities and industries. Hence, the role of destinations’ official websites and social media in the competition between territories is even more relevant, as they promote their tangible and intangible resources to become attractive and competitive in CT. The academic literature in CT requires a deeper understanding of the technological transformations currently affecting it, considering the need for resilience due to the pandemic crisis, as well as the lack of knowledge of the digital marketing strategi...