Traditional Confectionery as Culinary Heritage: Tourist Experience, Satisfaction and Tourism Potential in the Braj Region, India

Abstract

Traditional food and confectionery represent important forms of culinary heritage through which destinations express cultural identity, historical continuity and local craftsmanship. In culturally significant destinations, traditional foods can extend beyond consumption to become part of the tourist experience and contribute to destination perceptions. The Braj region of Uttar Pradesh, India, is widely recognised for its religious and cultural heritage and possesses a distinctive tradition of confectionery associated with local customs, festivals, pilgrimage and everyday cultural practices. However, the tourism potential of traditional confectionery remains relatively under examined from the perspective of tourists.

This study examines the role of traditional confectionery as culinary heritage and investigates its relationship with tourist experience and tourism-related outcomes in the Braj region. A quantitative survey was conducted among 400 tourists visiting selected destinations in the Braj region. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire covering tourist characteristics, awareness, and consumption and purchasing behaviour, perceptions of confectionery attributes, satisfaction and tourism-related perceptions. The study also incorporates qualitative insights from confectionery producers and tourism-related stakeholders to provide contextual understanding. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were employed to analyse the data.

The findings indicate substantial tourist engagement with traditional confectionery. Mathura Peda was the most widely recognised confectionery among respondents, while a large proportion of tourists reported consuming and purchasing traditional sweets during their visit. Taste and quality, authenticity and freshness received comparatively favourable evaluations, whereas packaging and hygiene received relatively lower evaluations. A strong positive association was observed between satisfaction with taste/quality and willingness to recommend traditional Braj sweets. More than half of the respondents reported that traditional confectionery had a moderate or strong influence on their tourism experience, while a substantial majority expressed interest in greater promotion of confectionery-related tourism experiences.

The findings suggest that traditional confectionery can function as more than a food product: it can operate as a form of culinary heritage, a component of tourist experience and a potential resource for destination development. The study contributes to gastronomic tourism literature by examining traditional confectionery within an Indian cultural and pilgrimage-tourism setting and identifies implications for culinary trails, heritage interpretation, product presentation, destination promotion and local livelihood development.