Is it possible to get to know a culture through cooking classes? Tourists experiences of cooking classes in İstanbul

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate and comprehend foreign tourists' cooking class experiences in Istanbul. In the study conducted a qualitative case study method was used by analyzing the comments of the travelers and using the User-Generated Content (UGC) technique. The data in the study was collected via TripAdvisor, from tourists' reviews (n: 1228) between December 10, 2021 and January 10, 2022. The findings from cooking class experiences are diverse and are based on a variety of dimensions hospitality of locals, value/price, memorable experience, authentic experience, culture learning experience, social interaction, culinary characteristics, and instructor attributes. As a result of in-depth examination of the cooking class experience, it was concluded that cooking classes can be a tool in learning a new culture. In addition the study substantially contributes to the cooking class experience literature and providing a deep understanding of tourists’ cooking class experiences.