Research of Consumer Preferences in Relation to Traditional Food Products (on the Example of Tourists of the Baikal Region)

Introduction. The article is devoted to the study of the consumption of traditional food products by tourists of the Baikal region. The study of the food traditions of different countries and regions of the world is an actual scientific topic. The field of gastronomic tourism has been actively developing in the recent years. The Baikal region is a unique region of Russia. The development of tourism in this region is possible through gastronomic tourism. It is known that traditional dishes play an important role in increasing the popularity of tourist destinations. In this regard, the purpose of this work is to study the consumer preferences for traditional food products (on the example of tourists from the Baikal region). Methods of research. For assessment of the satisfaction and consumer preferences of tourists in the Baikal region in relation to traditional food products, a questionnaire was developed (in Russian and English languages). During the study, 43 respondents were interviewed ― tourists of the Baikal region, permanently residing in other regions of Russia or foreign countries. Statistical processing of the results was carried out using standard methods of mathematical statistics. Results and its discussion. It has been found that buuzy, shulen, traditional green tea (nogoon sai), buchler are the most popular foods for the tourists of the Baikal region. The majority of respondents are satisfied with the quality of these products. At the same time, the study has shown that there is a list of traditional food products that the respondents haven’t tried during their stay in the Baikal region. For example, products from Baikal omul and products from wild-growing plants were tried only 79 % and 86 % of respondents respectively. Despite of this fact, the most of the surveyed tourists would like to purchase a fermented product from the Baikal omul. The most important consumer indicators of the quality of fermented Baikal omul are pleasant taste, reasonable price, pronounced aroma and health benefits. Conclusions. The majority of the respondents were satisfied with the quality of traditional food products of the Baikal region. Products from Baikal omul and fermented omul, in particular, were tasted only by a small percentage of respondents. It can be related to the fact that the commercial fishery was prohibited when the survey was conducted. Successful development of the Baikal fermented omul brand requires marketing support.

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