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Abstract:
This study aims to assist in policy, regulation, and strategy development as well as in feasibility study of culinary tourism business to create a sustainable culinary tourism. It also aims to provide clear information to contribute in the development of tourism concept as a model of culinary-based tourism development for the improvement of small and medium enterprises in upstream-downstream food and beverage creative industries' welfare (in Bandung Regency/City, West Java Province, Indonesia). The research methodologies implemented in the study include action research, Participatory Community Appraisal, Participation Action Research, Focus Group Discussion, literary review of related studies, and experimental research. To measure all constructs and indicators of the study, research questionnaires are distributed in Bandung Regency/City to the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) working in culinary (food and beverage/F&B) tourism field. Data is analyzed using General Electric Matrix method. Based on the analysis of top F&B SMEs, it is found that F&B SMEs have to possess several competencies to improve their welfare. F&B SMEs owners or managers must have the following competencies: sound understanding of business operation, certain level of education and certain amount of experiences, ability to create unique F&B business, ability to generate new ideas in producing food and beverage for business development, sound understanding of the ways to get a loan from bank, daring to do business, understanding of cost and revenue recording, understanding of promotion methods, building cooperation and network with suppliers, and understanding of how to determine price. The interviews with some managers of tourism areas, culinary business owners, and public figures in Bandung City, several recommendations for Bandung City Government are formulated to improve culinary business in tourism sites in Bandung City, as follows: all tourism site owners or managers in Bandung City should involve local F&B SMEs from Bandung, at least 50% of all the culinary in their area; all modern/supermarket developed in Bandung City, both by local or foreign parties, should provide a specific area to sell Bandung culinary products produced by local SMEs; the Tourism and Industry Offices of Bandung City are expected to work in cooperation to allocate top Bandung culinary enterprises at each of the tourism site in Bandung City.
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