Investigation of food consumption trends of guests after the pandemic in hotel businesses Bolu province example

The phases of the Covid-19 pandemic have caused major changes in the food industry. It has been observed that the covid-19 epidemic, which has a global impact, has various effects on consumers in the food industry. It is thought that it is important to determine the impact of the mentioned epidemic on consumers. In line with this view, the aim of the study was to determine the change in the behavior of consumers consuming food in the food section of hotel businesses after the pandemic. In this regard, first of all, document analysis was carried out and existing sources were examined. Afterwards, in order to obtain research data, the perspectives, observations and experiences of hotel employees who had the opportunity to observe consumer behavior first-hand were consulted. In this context, one-on-one interviews were held with a total of 21 hotel staff, including managers, from various hotels in Bolu province. During the interview, a total of 9 open-ended questions were asked to the participants. The data obtained was collected under 9 headings and analyzed using the descriptive analysis method. According to this; It has been determined that consumers' tendency towards quickly consumable, healthy and nutritious foods increased during the pandemic, they preferred à la carte service to reduce the risk rate, and they paid more attention to hygiene rules. Although consumption and waste decreased both in the kitchen and individually, it was revealed that consumers returned to their habits after the pandemic. However, it appears that employees are more sensitive to hygiene rules in both personal and public areas after the pandemic. In line with the results obtained within the scope of the study, while there is no possible change after the pandemic process, it has been observed that there are changes in people's behavior and consumption areas during the pandemic process.