Innovation in Tourism Gastronomy in Cuzco, Peru

In the last few years, Peruvian gastronomy has experienced an unprecedented growth. Hundreds of new restaurants have emerged across the country offering creative combinations of food and service. Surprisingly, there are very few systematic studies on the practice of innovation within the sector, and research adopting a customer-based approach is practically non-existent. This article analyzes innovation practices in Peruvian restaurants. The study starts by exploring the ecosystem innovation in this sector and then examines the relevance of innovative practices in the areas of product, service, ambience, sustainability, and marketing. The study focuses on tourist restaurants in the city of Cuzco, the main tourist destination in Peru. The research methodology included in-depth interviews and the application of structured questionnaires to an intentional sample of twenty representatives of renowned restaurants, gastronomy institutes, and relevant sectoral agencies. The information gathered offers valuable insights into the most relevant innovation practices in the gastronomic industry and, in addition, it introduces a new tool for future systematic studies in the sector. The study is also valuable for local restaurateurs and policy holders, as it evinces the need for more systematic efforts to incorporate innovation in restaurants and to promote the support of public/private sectoral organizations. Future research in this context could benefit from a broader sample of actors than those included in this study.