Organizing Informal Street Businesses for Food Tourism Development: A Pathway to Urban Economic Sustainability (Case Study of Tehran)

Shahidi, Sogol; Abbasi Karjagan, Davood; Tabatabaei Mozdabadi, Seyyed Mohsen

doi:10.22054/joer.2024.79835.1219

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ Master’s Student of Tourism Marketing Management, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.

² Ph.D. in Tourism Management, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.

³ Assistant Professor, Islamic Azad University of South Tehran, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22054/joer.2024.79835.1219

Abstract

This study examines the impact of organizing informal street businesses on food tourism in Tehran, with a focus on sustainable urban development. The research surveyed 384 tourists on 30 Tir Street using a validated questionnaire. Path analysis revealed significant relationships between both personal and collective organization of street vendors and tourist satisfaction. Personal organization positively influenced satisfaction, enhancing service quality, while collective organization among vendors further improved overall experiences. These results suggest that the structured organization of street vendors can boost service quality, thereby supporting sustainable economic growth in urban areas.
Introduction
Food tourism has become a critical factor in attracting visitors and enhancing their experiences. Informal street vendors play a significant role in this niche, particularly in urban areas where street food culture is prevalent. However, the lack of organization and support for these businesses often leads to challenges in maintaining service quality, which can affect tourist satisfaction.
This study explores how the personal and collective organization of informal street vendors can enhance the overall food tourism experience, particularly in Tehran's 30 Tir Street.
Research Questions

How does the personal organization of informal street vendors affect tourist satisfaction?
What role does collective organization play in enhancing the quality of food tourism services?

Methods and Materials
The study employed a descriptive-correlational research design with a sample of 384 street food visitors selected using non-random convenience sampling. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire validated by experts in the field. Path analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationships between the organization of informal street vendors and tourist satisfaction.
Results and Discussion
The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between personal organization of vendors and tourist satisfaction, highlighting the importance of effective planning and management. Additionally, collective organization among vendors positively impacted service quality, enhancing the overall tourist experience. These results indicate that organizing informal businesses, both individually and collectively, can lead to improved service quality and higher tourist satisfaction. The path analysis model, which illustrates these relationships, is shown in Figure 1 below. The figure demonstrates the influence of personal and collective organization on tourist satisfaction, with significant path coefficients indicating the strength of these effects.
Figure 1. Path Analysis of the Impact of Personal and Collective Organization on Tourist Satisfaction

As depicted in Figure 1, the analysis confirms that personal organization (factor loading = 0.582, t = 7.0532) and collective organization (factor loading = 0.181, t = 2.6051) have a statistically significant impact on improving satisfaction with food services.
Conclusion
The study concludes that organizing informal street vendors significantly contributes to enhancing tourist satisfaction in food tourism, which in turn can support the sustainable economic development of urban areas. It is recommended that training programs focusing on hygiene, food safety, and customer service be provided to street vendors. Additionally, collaborative efforts, such as forming associations or cooperatives, could strengthen vendor capabilities and improve service quality.
Acknowledgments
We would like to express our gratitude to all participants and experts who contributed to this study, as well as the faculty members who provided their valuable feedback.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this research.

Keywords

References

صادقی، حسین و آقازاده، محمد. (1401). بررسی ظرفیت‌های گردشگری غذا (مطالعه موردی: بررسی غذاهای بومی محلی استان قم). علوم زیست محیطی و دانش جغرافیا، 1(4)، 1-15.

طوفان، سحر و آبرومندآذر، پریسا. (1399). تحلیل قلمرو فعالیت دستفروشان در بستر پیاده راه‌های شهری تبریز نمونه‌های موردی پیاده راه‌های تربیت و ولیعصر (شهریار). در اولین همایش ملی بازآفرینی شهری در شهر ایرانی، بجنورد.

فرزام‌منش، مجتبی، ملکی، آلاء و معتمدی، پرنیا. (1399). اتخاذ سیاست‌های مناسب جهت ساماندهی مشاغل کاذب به منظور روانسازی ترافیک وسایل نقلیه و تردد عابرین پیاده (مطالعه موردی: شهر بندرعباس). در چهارمین کنفرانس بین‌المللی عمران و معماری در مدیریت شهری قرن ۲۱، تهران.

فیروزی، محمدعلی، سلطانی، زهرا و فریسات، مهین. (1401). بررسی و تحلیل عوامل موثر بر توسعه گردشگری غذا در خیابان انوشه شهر اهواز. گردشگری شهری، 9(4)، 65-85.

Abdullah, T., Carr, N., & Lee, C. (2023). The empowerment of street food vendors: a marginalised community within the hospitality industry. Tourism Recreation Research, 48(6), 885-898.

Adama, O. (2020). Criminalizing informal workers: The case of street vendors in Abuja, Nigeria. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 56, 533–548.

Adegoke, Y. (2019). Economists struggle to figure out where Africa’s informal economy starts or where it ends. Quartz Africa.

Al-Jundi, S. A., Al-Janabi, H. A., Salam, M. A., Bajaba, S., & Ullah, S. (2022). The impact of urban culture on street vending: a path model analysis of the general public's perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 831014.

Aprilia, C., & Suryani, A. I. (2020). Coffee shop atmospheric effect on customer satisfaction and behavioral intention. Bisma: Journal Bisnis dan Manajemen, 13(1), 1-13.

https://doi.org/10.26740/bisma.v13n1.p1-13

Bagumire, A., & Karumuna, R. (2019). Sanitation facilities and practices for street-vended meats at two major highway markets in Uganda. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 19(2), 14337-14353.

Batréau, Q., & Bonnet, F. (2016). Managed informality: regulating street vendors in Bangkok. City & Community, 15, 29–43. https://doi.org/10.1111/cico.12150

Bowen, R. (2022). Food tourism: opportunities for SMEs through diaspora marketing?. British Food Journal, 124(2), 514-529. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-04-2021-0410

Casciaro T, Lobo MS (2015) Affective primacy in intraorganizational task networks. Organ Sci, 26(2):373–389

Charman, A., Petersen, L., & Govender, T. (2020). Township economy: People, spaces and practices. Cape Town: HSRC Press. ISBN 13: 978-0-7969-2577-0

Choe, J. Y., & Kim, S. S. (2018). Effects of tourists’ local food consumption value on attitude, food destination image, and behavioral intention. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 71, 1-10.

Daly AJ, Liou YH, Brown C (2016) Social red bull: exploring energy relationships in a school district leadership team. Harv Educ Rev, 86(3):412–448

Dedeoğlu, B.B., Mariani, M., Shi, F. and Okumus, B. (2022), "The impact of COVID-19 on destination visit intention and local food consumption", British Food Journal, Vol. 124 No. 2, pp. 634-653

Di-Clemente, E., Hernández-Mogollón, J.M., & López-Guzmán, T. (2020). Culinary Tourism as An Effective Strategy for a Profitable Cooperation between Agriculture and Tourism. Social Sciences, 9)25).

Ellis, A., Park, E., Kim, S., & Yeoman, I. (2018). What is food tourism? Tourism Management, 68, 250-263.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.03.025

Faruque, Q., Haque, Q.F., Shekhar, H.U., & Begum, S. (2010). Institutionalization of healthy street food system in Bangladesh: A pilot study with three wards of Dhaka city corporation as a mode. National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programmed (NFPCSP), 7, 1-84.

Farzam-Monash, Mojtaba, Maleki, Ala & Motamedi, Parniya. (2020). Adopting Appropriate Policies for Organizing Informal Jobs to Improve Traffic Flow and Pedestrian Movement (Case Study: Bandar Abbas City). In the Fourth International Conference on Civil Engineering and Architecture in 21st Century Urban Management, Tehran. [in Persian]

Firoozi, Mohammad Ali, Soltani, Zahra & Farisat, Mahin. (2022). Investigating and Analyzing Factors Affecting the Development of Culinary Tourism on Anousheh Street in Ahvaz. Urban Tourism, 9(4), 65-85. [in Persian]

Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50.

Fusté-Forné, F. (2020). Savouring place: cheese as a food tourism destination landmark. Journal of Place Management and Development, 13(2), 177-194. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMD-07-2019-0065

Gaffar, V., Tjahjono, B., Abdullah, T., Sari, M., & Rofaida, R. (2022). Unfolding the impacts of a prolonged Covid-19 pandemic on the sustainability of culinary tourism: some insights from micro and small street food vendors. Sustainability, 14(1), 497.

Graaff, K., & Ha, N. (2015). Street Vending in the Neoliberal City: A Global Perspective on the Practices and Policies of a Marginalized Economy. Berghahn Books, New York, NY.

Huang, G., Xue, D., & Wang, Y. (2019). Governmentality and spatial strategies: Towards formalization of street vendors in Guangzhou, China. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 43, 442–459.

Khanna, S., Nagar, K., Chauhan, V., & Bhagat, S. (2022). Application of the extended theory of planned behavior to street-food consumption: testing the effect of food neophobia among Indian consumers. British Food Journal, 124(2), 550-572.

Kilduff M, Krackhardt D (2008) Interpersonal networks in organizations: cognition, personality, dynamics, and culture. Cambridge University press, 30.

Kılıç, B., Bekar, A., & Yozukmaz, N. (2021). The new foodie generation: gen Z. In Generation Z Marketing and Management in Tourism and Hospitality: The Future of the Industry Springer. International Publishing, Cham, pp. 223-247.

Knollenberg, W., Duffy, L.N., Kline, C., & Kim, G. (2021). Creating competitive advantage for food tourism destinations through food and beverage experiences. Tourism Planning and Development, 18(4), 379-397. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2020.1798687

Liu, H., Meng-Lewis, Y., Ibrahim, F., & Zhu, X. (2021). Superfoods, super healthy: myth or reality? Examining consumers repurchase and WOM intention regarding superfoods: a theory of consumption values perspective. Journal of Business Research, 137, 69-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.08.018

Liu, Z., Zhang, G., & Zhang, X. (2014). Urban street foods in Shijiazhuang city, China: Current status, safety practices and risk mitigating strategies. Food Control, 41(1), 212-218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.01.027

Maraña, E. C., Cabusay, B. M. M., Dela Torre, C. O., Rodriguez, A. P., Ruzol, L. M., De Leon, T. G. R., & Barrion, S. A. M. (2024). Influence of food tourism on tourist satisfaction and revisit intention in Laguna. GSC Advanced Research and Reviews, 19(03), 045–057. https://doi.org/10.30574/gscarr.2024.19.3.0191

Mjoka, J., & Selepe, M. (2017). Food hygiene practices and attitudes of the street food vendors at KwaDlangezwa, Northern KwaZulu Natal. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 6(3), 1-12.

Moagi, T. J., Ivanovic, M., & Adinolfi, M. C. (2021). Business challenges of arts and crafts street vendors at key tourist attractions in Soweto, South Africa. African Journal of Hospitality Tourism and Leisure, 10(1), 85-101.

Moatasim, F. (2019). Informality materialized: Long-term temporariness as a mode of informal urbanism. Antipode, 51, 271–294.

Laura Fuentes-Moraleda & Ana Muñoz-Mazón & Coral Santiago-Rincón & Alicia Orea-Giner, 2021. "Defining risk reduction strategies for tourists with specific food needs: a qualitative approach," Post-Print hal-04039205

Nguyen, B., & Canh, N. P. (2021). Formal and informal financing decisions of small businesses. Small Business Economics, 57, 1545–1567

Okumus, B. (2021). Food tourism research: a perspective article. Tourism Review, 76(1), 38-42. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-11-2019-0450

Onodugo, V. A., Ezeadichie, N. H., Onwuneme, C. A., & Anosike, A. E. (2016). The dilemma of managing the challenges of street vending in public spaces: the case of Enugu City, Nigeria. Cities, 59, 95–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2016.06.001

Ozcelik, A., & Akova, O. (2021). The impact of street food experience on behavioural intention. British Food Journal, 123(12), 4175-4193. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-06-2020-0481

Panicker, R., & Priya, R. S. (2021). Paradigms of street food vending in sustainable development–a way forward in Indian context. Cities & Health, 5(3), 234-239.

Peimani, N., & Kamalipour, H. (2022). Informal street vending: a systematic review. Land, 11(6), 829.

Pizzichini, L., Andersson, T.D. and Gregori, G.L. (2022), "Seafood festivals for local development in Italy and Sweden", British Food Journal, Vol. 124 No. 2, pp. 613-633. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-04-2021-0397

Racaud, S. (2018). Ambiguous resource: “Informal” street trading in Kisumu, Kenya. Artic. Journal of Urban Research, 17–18.

Rachão, S. A. S., Breda, Z. J., Fernandes, C. O., & Joukes, V. N. P. M. (2021). Drivers of experience co-creation in food-and-wine tourism: an exploratory quantitative analysis. Tourism Management Perspectives, 37, 100783.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.202

Rahman Muhammad Sabbir, Mahmud Habib Zaman, Hasliza Hassan, Chong Chin Wei, (2018). Tourist’s preferences in selection of local food: perception and behavior embedded model. Tourism Review. https://doi.org/10.1108/ TR-04-2017-0079

Recchi, S. (2021). Informal street vending: a comparative literature review. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 41(7/8), 805-825.

Rogan, M., & Skinner, C. (2019). South Africa’s informal sector creates jobs, but shouldn’t be romanticised. The Conversation. 12 September 2019. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/south-africas-informal-sector-creates-jobs-but-shouldnt-be-romanticised-122745

Rogerson, C. M. (2016). Progressive rhetoric, ambiguous policy pathways: Street trading in inner-city Johannesburg, South Africa. Local Economy, 31, 204–218.

Rothenberg, A. D., Gaduh, A., Burger, N. E., Chazali, C., Tjandraningsih, I., Radikun, R., Sutera, C., & Weilant, S. (2016). Rethinking Indonesia’s Informal Sector. World Development, 80, 96–113.

Rousta, A., & Jamshidi, D. (2020). Food tourism value: Investigating the factors that influence tourists to revisit. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 26(1), 73-95.

Sotiriadis, M. D. (2015). Culinary tourism assets and events: Suggesting a strategic planning tool. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27, 1214–1232.

Stout, J., Tellinghuisen, D.J., Wunder, D.B., Tatko, C.D., & Rydbeck, B.V. (2019). Variations in sensitivity to chlorine in Ecuador and US consumers: Implications for community water systems. Journal of Water and Health, 17(3), 428-441.

Su, C. H., Tsai, C. H., Chen, M. H., & Lv, W. Q. (2019). U.S. Sustainable food market generation Z consumer segments. Sustainability, 11(13), 3607. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11133607

Te-Lintelo, D. J. H. (2017). Enrolling a goddess for Delhi's street vendors: the micro-politics of policy implementation shaping urban (in)formality. Geoforum, 84, 77–87.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2017.06.005

Timothy, D. J. (2015). Heritage Cuisines: Traditions, Identities and Tourism. Routledge, London.

Trafialek, J., Drosinos, E.H., Laskowski, W., Jakubowska Gawlik, K., Tzamalis, P., Leksawasdi, N., Surawang, S., & Kolanowski, W. (2018). Street food vendors' hygienic practices in some Asian and EU countries – a survey. Food Control, 85, 212-222.

Viswanathan, M., Echambadi, R., Venugopal, S., & Sridharan, S. (2014). Subsistence Entrepreneurship, Value Creation, and Community Exchange Systems: A Social Capital Explanation. Journal of Macromarketing, 34, 213–226.

Sadeghi, Hossein & Aghazadeh, Mohammad. (2022). Investigating the Potentials of Culinary Tourism (Case Study: Study of Native Local Foods in Qom Province). Environmental Sciences and Geography Knowledge, 1(4), 1-15. [in Persian]

Stephan, U., Uhlaner, L. M., & Stride, C. (2015). Institutions and social entrepreneurship: the role of institutional voids, institutional support, and institutional configurations. Journal of International Business Studies, 46(3), 308–331.

Tofan, Sahar & Abromandazar, Parisa. (2020). Analysis of Street Vendors’ Activity in the Context of Urban Walkways in Tabriz: Case Studies of Tabriz’s Tarbiat and Valiasr (Shahriar) Walkways. In the First National Conference on Urban Regeneration in the Iranian City, Bojnord. [in Persian]

Yang, S., Liu, Y., & Xu, L. (2024). The effect of food tourism experiences on tourists' subjective well-being. Tourism Management, 10(3), e25482.[1]

Economics Research

Organizing Informal Street Businesses for Food Tourism Development: A Pathway to Urban Economic Sustainability (Case Study of Tehran)

References

References

Volume 23, Issue 91 - Serial Number 4
January 2023
Pages 218-252

Organizing Informal Street Businesses for Food Tourism Development: A Pathway to Urban Economic Sustainability (Case Study of Tehran)

References

References

Volume 23, Issue 91 - Serial Number 4January 2023Pages 218-252

Volume 23, Issue 91 - Serial Number 4
January 2023
Pages 218-252