Evaluating gastronomy sensory experiences of Sarawak Laksa as alternative destination images

Abstract

Local cuisine plays a vital role in tourist destinations, serving as an attraction for tourists looking for distinctive gastronomic and tourism experiences. Sarawak tourism and also its reputable local cuisine, Sarawak Laksa, can use dining experiences to excite all five senses, specifically taste, smell, sight, touch, and texture, to enhance experiences. It is uncommon to investigate the relevance of sensory and dining experiences in terms of sensory preferences and their reflection on destination images via social media as part of the research design in the context of gastronomy tourism. The aim of the research to determine the elements of Sarawak Laksa in gastronomy tourism that are unique and specific to Sarawak., as well as to explore the usage of various sensory appeals and its emerging significance in building alternative destination images for gastronomic tourist destinations. A qualitative approach was used to collect data on actual consuming (in situ) experiences from 25 user-generated contents (UGC) in the supplementary video via the online YouTube platform. According to the findings, the sense of taste and uniqueness is the most dominant of Sarawak's own Laksa sensory dining experience, which also includes novelty and emotion elements. The data indicate 19 profoundly important sub-themes: an abundance of spices, authenticity, prawny flavor and spiciness, robust herbaceous, aromatic, coconut aroma, colorful, attractive, diversity of ingredients, doneness, freshness, consistency, crunchiness, and slurp. Furthermore, unique and gratification signify novelty, whereas nostalgic and signature feelings represent emotion in the context of a dining experience. These findings are based on sensory experiences, which have the greatest potential to affect good tourist evaluation and subsequent online exposure. In the context of gastronomic tourism, this study indicates that Sarawak Laksa has the potential to become a signature identity as an alternative that integrates the tourist's image to Sarawak's identity.