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Food Tourism in Asia pp 171–183Cite as

Watching A Bite of China: The Impact of a Food and Culture Documentary on Previsit Perceptions and Expectations

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Part of the book series: Perspectives on Asian Tourism ((PAT))

Abstract

Based on 15 semi-structured interviews with recent viewers of the successful documentary A Bite of China, this chapter examines the impacts of the food and culture documentary on previsit perceptions and expectations. The results show that the documentary can change viewers’ perceptions of regional cuisine and has a more prominent impact on first-time viewers. Food image is highlighted through representations of unique regional cooking methods, ingredients, customs and everyday life of locals as part of local culture. Those credible food images aid the process of building perceptual images that distinguish a destination from other similar destinations. The documentary, therefore, has the potential to motivate viewers to visit destinations they were initially interested in.

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Acknowledgement

The authors would like to express their gratitude to Professor Stijn Reijnders and the editors for their valuable feedback and suggestions.

Funding

This study was carried out with the financial support of the China Scholarship Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Min Xu

  2. Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia

    Sangkyun Kim

Authors
  1. Min Xu
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  2. Sangkyun Kim
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Min Xu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Eerang Park

  2. Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia

    Eerang Park

  3. School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia

    Sangkyun Kim

  4. School of Management, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Ian Yeoman

  5. European Tourism Futures Institute, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

    Ian Yeoman

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Xu, M., Kim, S. (2019). Watching A Bite of China: The Impact of a Food and Culture Documentary on Previsit Perceptions and Expectations. In: Park, E., Kim, S., Yeoman, I. (eds) Food Tourism in Asia. Perspectives on Asian Tourism. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3624-9_12

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