From armchair to table: online supermarkets as potential post-pandemic tourist attractions

Food consumption is one of the most popular leisure and tourist activities, and is essential when traveling. This article discusses online supermarkets as a food tourism attraction in the context of the pandemic-related crisis, which is increasingly dominated by digital tourism and virtual travel. The study specifically focuses on online cheese tourism. The author analyses the cheese offering of an online supermarket in Spain, consisting of 120 kinds of cheese products. Results reveal the potential of online cheese tourism, predominantly based on quality cheeses. Various types of cheeses are described, with emphasis on their country of origin. The article contributes to the conceptualisation of digital food tourism practices in post-pandemic tourism. Online supermarkets are not only potential tourist attractions but they could also contribute to the growth of specific forms of food tourism, such as cheese tourism. The author argues that virtual experience is a driver of future trends in food tourism.