Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Noémi Tordai (Pál)
Author-Name-First: Noémi Tordai
Author-Name-Last: (Pál)
Author-Email: pal.noemi.24@stud.umfst.ro
Author-Workplace-Name: George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, Târgu Mureș,Romania
Author-Name: Beáta Tatár
Author-Name-First: Beáta
Author-Name-Last: Tatár
Author-Email: tatar.beata.24@stud.umfst.ro
Author-Workplace-Name: George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, Târgu Mureș,Romania
Author-Name: Alexis-Monica Moga
Author-Name-First: Alexis-Monica
Author-Name-Last: Moga
Author-Email: moga.alexis-monica.25@stud.umfst.ro
Author-Workplace-Name: George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, Târgu Mureș,Romania
Author-Name: Flavia Dana Oltean
Author-Name-First: Flavia Dana
Author-Name-Last: Oltean
Author-Email: flavia.oltean@umfst.ro
Author-Workplace-Name: George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, Târgu Mureș,Romania
Title: From farm to fine dining: the impact of local sourcing on the competitiveness of Romanian luxury restaurants
Journal: CACTUS - The Tourism Journal for Research, Education, Culture and Soul
Abstract: Sustainability has become a defining axis of innovation and competitiveness in the global fine dining sector, yet its translation into operational and managerial practices remains uneven, particularly in emerging markets. This study examines how sustainable gastronomy practices are integrated within a high-end rural hospitality context, using Bethlen Estates Transylvania as a single embedded case study. The research adopts a convergent mixed-methods design, combining semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders (executive chef, operations coordinator, garden manager, and a local supplier) and a complementary pilot survey (N = 140) assessing consumer awareness and willingness to pay for sustainability in fine dining. Qualitative data were analysed through thematic coding, while quantitative responses were processed descriptively, with internal consistency verified (Cronbach’s α > 0.70).Findings indicate that sustainable fine dining in a post-socialist, rural context requires not only ecological and ethical commitment, but also creative adaptation to infrastructural and perceptual constraints. In this case, sustainability functions both as a competitive strategy and as a narrative the restaurant constructs about itself – one that connects authenticity, locality, and value creation. The study contributes to the literature on sustainable gastronomy by offering a contextualised model of integration between environmental responsibility, luxury experience, and community-based sourcing. Limitations include the single-case design and non-probabilistic sampling. Future research should consider comparative multi-case analyses across the Central and Eastern European region.
Keywords: sustainable gastronomy, Michelin Green Star, proximate luxury, Romania, Bethlen Estates Transylvania
Classification-JEL: L83, Q56
Creation-Date: 2025
Year: 2025
Volume: 32
Issue: 1
File-URL: https://cactus-journal-of-tourism.ase.ro/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/vol7_no2_2025_art11_II.9-Pal-et-al.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf
Handle: RePEc:bum:cactus:cactus-2025-20