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Service Economy, Innovation and Experiences

Vol. 20 No. 3 (2026)

STREET FOOD IN THE SYSTEM OF COMPETITIVENESS FACTORS OF A TOURIST DESTINATION: ECONOMIC POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS (THE CASE OF OMSK)

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22412/2414-9063-2026-20-3-88-101
Submitted
August 31, 2026
Published
August 31, 2026

Abstract

The article examines the economic and symbolic potential of street food in shaping the gastronomic identity and tourist attractiveness of Omsk. The theoretical framework combines the concepts of the experience economy, place branding, and the sociology of gastronomic tourism. The study focuses on the conditions under which street food can move from being an element of everyday urban infrastructure to becoming a tourist attraction. The empirical basis consists of 14 semi-structured expert interviews with chefs, managers, bartenders, and owners of catering establishments. The interviews were analyzed within the grounded theory paradigm. The study identifies the core category of a “narrative vacuum in the presence of resources”, which describes the gap between the existing potential of local gastronomy and its weak economic capitalization in tourism. The article introduces an analytical distinction between the infrastructural and attraction functions of street food. It is shown that Omsk street food currently performs mainly an infrastructural function, while only a few places acquire the properties of tourist attractions. The study reveals climatic, economic, institutional, regulatory, and cognitive barriers to the development of gastronomic tourism. The scientific novelty lies in the concept of “affective latent symbols”, understood as elements of urban memory that have not yet been articulated in public discourse but possess symbolic and economic potential. The findings may be applied in place branding strategies and domestic tourism development.

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