The dining experience of Beijing Roast Duck: A comparative study of the Chinese and English online consumer reviews

Currently research investigating travel dining experience from a cross-cultural perspective was limited. This study aimed to compare the domestic Chinese and foreign English-speaking customers' dining experience of Beijing Roast Duck, a specialty food representing the gastronomic identity of the local cuisine. By employing semantic network analysis of the online consumer reviews, the results identified three common dimensions perceived by both groups, including the food, the restaurant and the occasion for dining out, and the service encounter. However, the domestic and foreign customers differed in their orientation about the aspects of the service encounter that they cared about. They also showed substantial differences in their perception about value for money as well as the cultural and experiential nature of the meal. The study also attested to the utility of the semantic network analysis method to uncover the rich information contained in the vast user generated content online.