Savouring Peru through Tourists' Profiles: An Artificial Neural Networks Perspective

Authors

  • Franklin Cordova-Buiza Universidad Privada del Norte
  • Miguel Ángel Solano-Sánchez Universidad de Córdoba, afiliación secundaria: Instituto Andaluz de Investigación e Innovación en Turismo (IATUR)
  • Lucía Castaño-Prieto Universidad de Córdoba https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6440-2506
  • Tomás López-Guzmán Universidad de Córdoba, afiliación secundaria: Instituto Andaluz de Investigación e Innovación en Turismo (IATUR) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8800-8223

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25145/j.pasos.2027.25.012

Keywords:

gastronomic tourism, tourist behaviour, market segmentation, artificial neural networks, Peru

Abstract

This study aims to determine the variations occurring across different constructs concerning the importance of gastronomy — motivation to travel, willingness to visit specific destinations, gastronomic aspects and experiences, and emotions — in accordance with tourists' sociodemographic profiles (age, gender, university education, and income). Based on 1,042 valid questionnaires, an artificial neural network (ANN) was developed using sociodemographic profile characteristics as input variables. This approach is useful for developing products and services tailored to tourists interested in gastronomy. The results indicate that age is the most influential variable in the model, with younger tourists attributing higher values to the constructs examined. These findings contribute to the body of research on gastronomic tourism in Peru and offer practical guidance for market segmentation and the management of tourist destinations.

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Instituto Universitario de Investigación Social y Turismo. Universidad de La Laguna (España) - Instituto Universitario da Maia ISMAI (Portugal)

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Published

2026-09-20

How to Cite

Cordova-Buiza, F., Solano-Sánchez, M. Ángel, Castaño-Prieto, L., & López-Guzmán, T. (2026). Savouring Peru through Tourists’ Profiles: An Artificial Neural Networks Perspective. PASOS Revista De Turismo Y Patrimonio Cultural, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.25145/j.pasos.2027.25.012