Research Proposal: Food Tourism in Birmingham, UK – An Analysis

This research proposal analyzes the rising popularity of food tourism, focusing on Birmingham, UK, as a case study. It aims to evaluate the concept of food tourism in Birmingham, explore factors motivating food tourists, identify successful culinary destinations and their key criteria, and recommend strategies for Birmingham's success. The proposal includes a literature review examining the evolution of food tourism, factors influencing tourist choices, and feasibility considerations. The research will employ both qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data, analyze trends, and provide recommendations for Birmingham to become a leading culinary destination, attracting a larger customer base and reflecting its cultural identity through its food offerings. The research will benefit stakeholders, researchers, and other cities looking to develop their food tourism potential.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction..................................................................................................................................3
Aim & Objectives........................................................................................................................3
Rationale......................................................................................................................................4
LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................................5
Evolution of food tourism within culinary destination................................................................5
Factors that motivate food tourists to visit destination................................................................6
Research Methodology................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

Topic: To analyse the growing popularity of Food Tourism and identify the key criteria that
constitutes a successful Food Tourism Destination. A study on Birmingham in UK.
Introduction
The popularity of the food tourism is increasing day by day because of the demand of the
majority of the people (Inbound food and drink research, 2020). The research will solely be
based on the food tourism destinations in UK. As UK is giving tough competition to all other
countries in all the industries so it is must for UK to promote its food tourism destinations and
lead all other countries (The food and drink tourism hub, 2020). The research will be discussing
the overall concept of food tourism and the factors which encourages the food tourists to visit the
destinations of food tourism. It will further elaborate the successful culinary destinations in UK
and the criteria which decides the success of these destinations. Various recommendations will
be suggested which will help Birmingham to become the most successful culinary destination in
UK (What is food tourism, 2020).
Aim & Objectives
Aim: To explore the growing popularity of Food Tourism along with identifying the key criteria
that constitutes a culinary destination in context of Birmingham, UK.
Objectives:
 To evaluate the concept of food tourism in Birmingham, UK.
 To explore different factors that motivates the food tourists to visit the food tourism
destination.
 To identify the successful culinary destinations in UK and identify the key criteria
constituting the successful food tourism destination.
 To recommend various strategies that help Birmingham to become a successful culinary
destination in UK.
Research Questions:
 What is the concept of food tourism in Birmingham, UK?
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 What are the various factors that motivates the food tourists to visit the food tourism
destinations?
 What are the successful food tourism destinations in UK and what are the key criteria
which constitutes the successful culinary destinations?
 What strategies can be recommended to Birmingham to make it a successful food tourism
destination in UK?
Rationale
The main reason behind the deciding the current topic i.e., to analyse the growing
popularity of food tourism is that the people are planning for trips which are centred on
explorations which are taste-inspired and also helps in immersing in the local culture where the
destination is situated (Storytelling and Sense of Place, 2019). All the food tourism destinations
reflect their respective culture in the food they serve which is its identity. The Birmingham needs
to attract large number of customers towards it and promoting its food to the food tourists is the
best option (A guide to English food and drink, 2020). In the food tourism industry, the
competition is increasing as each day passes which makes the competitors such as Ludlow,
Padstow, Leeds etc. to innovate themselves in all the aspects.
In order to make Birmingham as a number one culinary destination, it must identify the key
criteria which makes it successful in terms of food tourism (Food as an element in developing
tourist experiences, 2017). Therefore, this research will help the city to focus on those criteria
and to achieve those in order to make it successful (Why Food Tourism; Launching Visit
Britain’s Foodie Itineraries, 2017). It will also explore the strategies implemented by the other
food tourism destinations which will give a clear idea to Birmingham about how to develop itself
and its strategies which can help it become number one among all and can attract large number
of food tourists.
The main goal of the food tourism destinations is to fulfil the need of the food tourists and to
cope up with all the challenges faced by doing an overall research of the preferences of the
clients. Birmingham must analyse the strategies and goals of other food tourists’ destinations in
UK so that it gains a deeper insight about the areas in which it must differentiate itself to gain
larger customer base (New plan to increase food and drink tourism, 2020). Various strategies
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will help Birmingham to create a sense of trust and loyalty in the stakeholders so that they do not
have fear in investing in Birmingham to make it number one culinary destination in UK.
This research will also help the other researchers who wish to study about the food tourism and
its destinations along with the key considerations to be kept in mind for making the destination
successful (Types of Sampling: Sampling Methods with Examples, 2020). It will also benefit the
various stakeholders who wish to invest in the food tourism destinations as this research will
create trust in them towards the destinations and they will invest more (UK TOURISM Statistics
2020, 2020). It will also provide benefit to other cities who wish to become food tourism
destinations and to attract large number of food tourists and to reflect the culture in its varieties
of food.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Evolution of food tourism within culinary destination
As per the views of Ali Movahed, Moslem Ghasemi and Nasrin Gholamalifard,
(2020) The food tourism within culinary destination is considered as
exploration of food as purpose of tourism to be evolved as main parameter,
where it is considered to be the vital component for high advanced tourism
experiences. Dining out for tourists within culinary working aspects have
emerged as one of the most attractive factor, where vital component within
tourism experiences are focused on. Tourists among food tourism often look
for best accommodations, with high scenery and best facilities for having
high royal experiences, where food tourism industry is widely growing with
strong innovation and large efficiency goals for higher revenue goals and
goodwill standards. The food tourism industry has been newly gaining high
scope and defines new scope among global levels where there are various
professionals and companies finding best working scenarios with high
diversity on varied goals. As noted by Alireza Rousta, Dariyoush Jamshidi (2019),
Culinary destination is wide comprehensive way which defines various
activities, experiences and consumption, appreciation of foods and
beverages where the way the valuable culture is presented enables to build
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best guests services. It has been also understood as domain where food is
explored beyond plate and also to work on best goals, where operations
have been successfully gaining fundamental pace among wider functional
diversity platforms. Growing popularity of food tourism and strategies
framing pace within culinary destination has been understood as one of the
main new parameters where researches are highly growing, and also there is
wide availing scope of diverse services catered among consumers ( Bendegul
Okumus, 2020)
Factors that motivate food tourists to visit destination
As noted by views of Ellis (2018), There are various factors that motivate
food tourists to visit destinations and which has given high rise to culinary
destination factors, which can be understood as one of the main goal within
research operational paradigms. Food tourists often look for best
accommodations, services catering for larger functional innovation and also
look for cultural diversity grounds, where people look to experience best
advanced stay with new functional standards of high class stay (FG Santa Cruz
and et.al, 2019).
As per the views of Helena A willams, Robert Williamsand Maktoba Omar (2016),
People as food tourist also look for best attractive food, where hospitality
services are also ranging with high keen scenarios and also it enables people
to enjoy high comfort. Food tourists often loom for best wi-fi facilities also at
destinations where they book their stays and also there is high comfort
factors which are also integrally important for generating best hospitality
services within destinations. Exploring various cuisines with high leisure and
travel parameters have evolved the concept o food tourism goals, where
evolution encompasses activities beyond food and beverage service (Joana and
Henderson, 2019). The tourism and entertainment activities are highly attractive
for consumers where diverse relationship between food and society is
regional identity and cultural heritage experiences. Change within hospitality
domains have opened up high evolving people approaches within food and
beverage services and also linking best marketing parameters, which
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economically also is highly important for generating smarter revenue and
goodwill standards. For example, Birmingham is gaining highly becoming one
of the best growing culinary destinations for people within food traveller’s
domains, where it serves people with exotic places and destinations which
are also widely focused on bringing on people from global levels (Jonny
Williamson, 2018).
Feasibility factors for developing food tourism in region
As researched by author Josephine Warira, (2017) The factors within
developing food tourism in wide region which create high standards of
feasibility growth are analysed based on environmental factors such as good
climate, beautiful scenery and also the best working services which bring on
advanced new synergy for attracting consumers. Then the socio economic
factors such as accessibility, accommodation, amenities and services among
working parameters have played high important role for larger productive
scenarios. Food tourism is becoming highly wide domain with various cultural
and historical factors which also beautify places with best amenities and
factors scoping best growth operational aspects. The regional factors such as
the cultural history having wide new functional innovation goals, higher
determinants based on culinary destinations aims are broadly analysed,
where Birmingham is one of the best cities within United Kingdom with its
best landmarks 9 Matthew stone and Joelle Soulard, (2017) The city has home to
network of canals and many places, which are linked to trendy good class
food destination and are also known to be serving with best quality factors.
Feasibility factors under this new productivity arena can be understood as
major evolving parameter for analysis where it has best places culturally and
is also one of the best place inviting food travellers from around the world. It
could be also understood that there are some weaknesses also, analysis
explained that marketing and promotional factors are less at place which
had made it prominently less known at global level (Minasse, 2020)
As per the views of Scott (2019), There is high demand for best
innovative and high cuisine facilities where consumers are able to cherish
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best experiences and also are able to enjoy the hospitality service.
Birmingham is also facing excessive high shift in demand growth aspects
where travellers wish to have best all round world class cuisine facilities and
food services having best fresh ingredients, and also to be one of the most
popular place around world. There is wide rising scope within food tourism
industry where there is operational growth of innovation where there are
wide business enhancement opportunities for Birmingham to develop best
advanced productive stay for travellers. United Kingdom is one of the best
country having high innovative food services within cultural factors for
providing new diverse grounds of culinary tourism where country is widely
having high structural efficacy (Xavier Medina, Maria Pel Pilar Leal and Jose 2018).
Analysis has in detail analysed that Birmingham has been widely attracting
food travellers from all round glob because of its best feasibility factor of
operations and large new goals innovation, where productively it is
contributing to best services of hospitality excellence (Tommy Anderson, Lena
Mossberg and Anette Therkelsen, 2017).
Research Methodology
Methods used in the research basically analyse and describes the details of the tools and
techniques in the research which is used by the scholar to collect, analyse and interpret the data
which is collected through different sources in order to achieve the objectives of research
(Birmingham Food Tour, 2020). Justification of all the chosen tools will be highlighted in the
following description.
Design
It contains the information regarding the type of data which is used in the research. There
are two types of research: Qualitative and Quantitative (Food Tourism is a growing travel trend,
2020). Qualitative data is used when the thoughts, experiences and concepts of humans are
examined which helps in gaining the in-depth insights about the opinions of the individuals
regarding a specific topic. The quantitative research on the other hand is used to test the
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assumptions and theories based on numerical concepts and statistics which helps to establish
topic related generalizable facts (British get a taste for gastro-tourism, 2020).
The researcher here uses the qualitative type of data in which the opinions of the food tourists
will be examined which will help Birmingham ton integrate those things which satisfies the food
tourists. It will also aware the researcher and the city to explore the growing popularity of food
tourism among the people of UK and in the other countries (Features, drivers and outcomes of
food tourism, 2020).
Construction
It discusses the specific methods which are used to collect the data to obtain valuable
findings and to draw significant conclusions. There are two ways in which data can be collected
i.e., primary and secondary (Choosing an appropriate research methodology, 2020). Primary
data is first hand data which is collected in raw form through surveys, questionnaires etc.
Respondents are chosen which helps in collecting data from primary sources. Secondary data is
collected from various already published books and journals, research papers, publications,
online portals, blogs, magazines published by well-known authors (Research Methods Guide:
Research Design & Method, 2020).
This research will make use of both sources: Primary and Secondary. Primary data will be
collected from the food tourists of UK as the respondents who will express their opinions,
preferences and demands by answering the questions of the questionnaire and the secondary data
will be collected from the online websites and portals as the researcher does not have enough
time to go through various books and journals and the online sites also provide the recent data
and information which makes the research more reliable and valid (Food Tourism as research
object, 2017). Literature review was done by going through various online sites and the
information gained was critically evaluated to come to a valid conclusion. This helped in gaining
in-depth insights about the particular topic.
Sampling
These are the small groups chosen from the whole population in order to narrow down
the research and also ensures that the data collected from primary sources is not biased and is
representative (Research Support: Research Methodology, 2020). The sample which will be
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taken in this research will be 30 food tourists who frequently plans a trip by getting attracted by
the food of that particular city or country. The filter used was the food tourists among all the
tourists. The 30 respondents will be enough to represent the whole population of the food tourists
of UK (Gastronomical Food tours, 2020). There is no biasness done in selecting the respondents
which suggests that the data collected will be biased. Consent forms will be filled by the
respondents and declaration forms will be filled by the researcher. The secondary data collected
from the online sites and blogs are also relevant to the topic of the research (The Growing Trend
of Food Tourism, 2018). The data taken was copyright protected which makes the information up
to date. There were no modifications made in the data collected from the respondents. It is in the
same form as collected by them.
Procedure
The procedure applied after collecting the data is that the data will be organised as the positive
points and the negative are segregated in the literature review and the responses will also be
divided on the basis of demands of people (Research Design and Methodology, 2019). The
themes of the literature review will be analysed in depth. A framework will be made which will
help in the future researches (Restaurant industry in the United Kingdom (UK) - Statistics &
Facts, 2020). The data was read closely, the key points are highlighted, evaluation from all the
perspectives was done, common themes are made, the themes will be used as the criteria in the
data analysis (Sileyew, 2020).
Data analysis
Thematic analysis will be used by the researcher as it is the best way to analyse the
qualitative data and also helps in making the interpretations by analysing the figures, patterns,
graphical representations etc. (Long, L., 2018). The themes will be made according to the
responses of the respondents. Interpretations will be done by comparing the responses and the
knowledge gained by the literature review (What practical sampling methods should be in every
researcher’s toolkit, 2020). Combined, they will help in drawing significant conclusion and
optimal results regarding the food tourism destinations in UK and the criteria which decides their
success (Global Culinary Tourism Market 2019-2023, 2020).
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CONCLUSION
The overall research proposal focused on the growing popularity of food tourism in UK.
The aim and objectives were framed along with the research questions to be answered during the
whole research (Visit the West Midlands, 2020). Reason for the research was highlighted along
with mentioning those who will be benefited by the research. Literature review was done which
critically evaluated the information gained from secondary sources like online websites and
blogs. Research methodology was elaborated which contained the information about how the
whole research will be done and how the results will be achieved (Food Tourism: How Culinary
Travel is Winning the World, 2020).
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