Food Tourism in Porto - The influence of social media and aesthetics on Porto's food scene
Authors
Mehan, Jordan Bradley ; Böck, Johanna Erna Gertrud
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2023
Submitted on
2023-05-31
Pages
92
Abstract
This thesis examines how food tourism is characterized in the emerging destination of Porto and the role that social media and aesthetics play in shaping tourists’ food experiences and the city’s food scene, particularly in relation to cultural heritage and authenticity. Guided by a constructivist philosophy of science, the study uses qualitative methods: desk research on key concepts, a TikTok content analysis to understand the aesthetic presentation of Porto’s food and restaurants online, fieldwork in Porto with 18 semi-structured interviews of tourists and locals, observations, and participation in a Food Tour and a Baking Class. The analysis shows that Porto’s history and traditions are expressed through its cuisine and can communicate aspects of the city’s identity. Tourists value authentic food experiences and the taste of traditional cuisine, yet tastes have been adapted over time to align with tourist preferences. Authenticity is multi-layered—from preparation to presentation and consumption—and tourists seek different levels of it. Electronic word-of-mouth plays a vital role in decisions about where to eat, and both online and real-world aesthetics influence these choices. The interplay between aesthetic trends and the pursuit of authenticity creates tension, as restaurants balance staying traditional with modernizing, contributing to an identity crisis and a new foodscape in Porto. The thesis highlights the need for further research on how tourism businesses and destination-management organizations can address this crisis and strengthen Porto’s brand identity.
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan madturisme er karakteriseret i den fremvoksende destination Porto, og hvilken rolle sociale medier og æstetik spiller for turisters madoplevelser samt for byens madscene i forhold til kulturarv og autenticitet. Med udgangspunkt i en konstruktivistisk videnskabsfilosofi anvendes kvalitative metoder: desk research af centrale begreber, en indholdsanalysen af TikTok for at forstå, hvordan Porto’s mad og restauranter præsenteres æstetisk online, feltarbejde i Porto med 18 semistrukturerede interviews af turister og lokale, observationer og deltagelse i en Food Tour og en Baking Class. Analysen viser, at Portos historie og traditioner kommer til udtryk gennem køkkenet og kan formidle elementer af byens identitet. Turister værdsætter autentiske madoplevelser og smagen af traditionel mad, men smagen er samtidig blevet tilpasset turisters præferencer over tid. Autenticitet rummer flere lag – fra tilberedning til præsentation og konsumering – og turister søger forskellige niveauer af autenticitet. Elektronisk mund-til-mund spiller en central rolle i beslutningen om, hvor man spiser, og både online og fysiske æstetikker påvirker disse valg. Samspillet mellem æstetiske trends og ønsket om autenticitet skaber et spændingsfelt, hvor restauranter balancerer mellem at forblive traditionelle og at modernisere, hvilket har bidraget til en identitetskrise og et nyt madlandskab i Porto. Specialet peger på behov for videre forskning i, hvordan aktører og destinationsorganisationer kan adressere denne krise og styrke Portos brandidentitet.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]