The Importance of Architecture in Food and Drink Experiences Within a Tourism Context

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between spatial settings and food and drink experiences in tourism and hospitality. Food and drink providers often appear unaware or deliberately neglectful of the effects of the environment on food and drink experiences. However, certain tourism and hospitality providers successfully make use of architecture and design, and/or integrated multisensory experiences to enhance customer perceptions and satisfaction. Based on a scoping review and architectural precedents, this article provides unique examples of architecture and design, and discusses their influence on the total tourism and/or hospitality product. Literature from the fields of food sciences, psychology, design, and architecture is used to explain these influences. Taken together, this article highlights how the careful and targeted use of architecture and architectural design can substantially contribute to meaningful and memorable dining experiences in tourism. Specifically, this article illustrates how architecture can help provide multisensory dining experiences. Considerations for future research are provided and include: investigating the differences between permanent and temporary food and drink installations and framing future empirical research with pertinent theoretical frameworks.