EVOLVING GASTRONOMIC EXPERIENCES: FROM FOOD TO FOODIES TO FOODSCAPES (original) (raw)
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Tourism and Gastronomy: From foodies to foodscapes
Journal of Gastronomy and Tourism
The relationship between gastronomy and tourism has developed rapidly in recent decades. Gastronomy has shifted from being a peripheral concern for destinations to being one of the major reasons for tourists to visit. The causes of this shift are examined, both in terms of the changing social position of gastronomy and in the context of the emerging experience economy. In particular three moments of experience production are seen as marking stages in the development of the relationship between gastronomy and tourism: the first generation of gastronomic experiences based on the production of themed experiences for consumers; the second generation of experiences co-created by producers and consumers and the third generation of gastronomic experiences related to the development of communities around gastronomy and food. In this process a shift is observed from the taste patterns of individual ‘foodies’ to the development of entire foodscapes.
Gastronomy: an essential ingredient in tourism production and consumption
Tourism and gastronomy, 2002
As competition between tourism destinations increases, local culture is becoming an increasingly important source of new products and activities to attract and amuse tourists. Gastronomy has a particularly important role to play in this, not only because food is central to the tourist experience, but also because gastronomy has become an important source of identity formation in postmodern societies. More and more, ‘we are what we eat’, not just in the physical sense, but also because we identify with certain types of cuisine that we encounter on holiday. This introductory chapter charts the development of gastronomy as a socio-cultural practice and important cultural industry is examined from the perspective of tourism. The various ways in which gastronomic experiences are created, developed and marketed to tourists and the importance of gastronomic experiences for tourists are analysed in a variety of different settings. We introduce some of the main points of discussion surrounding the relationship between gastronomy and tourism which are tackled in more depth in the subsequent chapters.
As a result of social and economic developments in the last century, consumer demands have started to change and become varied. This has led product variation and diversification in the tourism industry and alternative types of tourism have appeared. Among all these new diversifications, it should be noted that gastronomy is becoming an important aspect in the development of tourism and niche destinations. Recently, tourists have tended to experience and enjoy other cultures through food and drink and appreciate these unique and memorable gastronomic experiences. Although it is supported by the literature that there is a connection between tourism and gastronomy, little is known about gastronomy tourists and their choice of destinations and their contribution to tourism. In this paper, we aim to reveal that whether gastronomy plays a major role and motivation in the way tourists experience the destination and to travel for gastronomy reasons and indicate that some travelers would return to the same destination to enjoy its unique gastronomy. Key words: Gastronomy, tourism, revisit intention, niche destinations
Gastronomic tourism - stages and evolution
Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence
On a worldwide level, the dimension of tourism has been sustained and amplified by globalisation. This has facilitated not just easier travel, but also the internationalisation of food from the national kitchens. One of the interesting segments of the immaterial regional cultural heritage is the local gastronomic arts. Each destination has its own cultural vision linked to the area, region, and country which generate corresponding gastronomic identities. The link between local cuisine and national identity is deeply rooted in all ethnicities because food has forever been central to the day to day rituals. A distinctive trait of many cultures is given by the type of food and drinks we associate with them. Currently, many of these are available outside the borders, globalisation being largely responsible to the spread of food and drinks beyond the traditional cultural borders: Mexican and Italian food are very popular in the USA, Indian food in Great Britain, Chinese in the whole worl...
Food and the Tourism Experience
The volume “Food and the Tourism Experience” provides an analysis of food experiences from a wide range of countries and regions around the world. The aim is to develop new knowledge on the relationship between food experiences and tourism that can support the development of appropriate policies, support mechanisms and marketing and branding activities. The OECD has a particular interest in food experiences because it seeks to promote policies that will improve economic and social well-being. Food is vital not only for survival and local development, but it also provides the basis for important newly-emerging creative and cultural industries. It is also an increasingly important part of tourism experiences, and food cultures around the world are a rich source of cultural, economic and social diversity. In the contemporary ‘experience economy’ sophisticated experiences are emerging that combine elements of education, entertainment, aesthetics and escapism to engage the consumer. As experiences become more complex and consumers become more knowledgeable and demanding, leisure and tourism markets have become more competitive, forcing suppliers to innovate and develop new service concepts. Food experiences for tourists form a vital part of the value network linking local food producers, suppliers and cultural and tourism entrepreneurs. Because of the important linkages between food experiences for tourists and other policy areas, including agriculture, food production, country branding and cultural and creative industries policies, it is important to develop an integrated, holistic approach to policy development and implementation. Food has a particularly important role in the development of tourism services, since it often comprises 30% or more of tourist expenditure, and this money is often spent directly with local businesses. It is also argued that integrating food experiences into sustainable tourism development in rural and outlying areas may help ease poverty. In order to utilize food and tourism as an economic development strategy, it is important to encourage visitors to stop, spend and stay longer. In the short-term, the focus should be on retaining visitor expenditure. In the medium term, the focus should be on developing networks and relationships within local businesses and organisations as well as with other regional stakeholders. In the longer term, the focus should be on the development of intellectual capital in order to enhance the regional knowledge base and to develop engaging food experiences. Tourists are increasingly seeking local, authentic and novel food experiences linked to the places they visit. Both at a regional and a national level, foods can become distinctive elements of the brand image of places and help to create distinctiveness. National culinary traditions are still strong, but as food becomes ever more globalised the authenticity of experiences is threatened. Tourists generally approach a country via an adapted version of its cuisine. This volume presents examples of strategies that can increase tourist knowledge of a country’s culinary offerings. Very often this involves a high level of collaboration between different stakeholders in a characteristic “foodscapes” which unite local culture, creativity and food. The important linkages between novelty, authenticity and locality in food experiences mean that small-scale food production is not an artifact of the past; it represents a route to the future. Creating ‘authentic’ experiences is often a question of careful framing and inventive and creative storytelling. Creating a strong narrative about place and the food culture that is linked to it can be an effective form of product development. Interest in culinary tourism may help rescue old traditions which are in the process of disappearing although there is a danger that tourists have less interest in the dish being authentic than in it appearing “exotic.”
Linguistics and Culture Review, 2021
The article examines the concept and features of gastronomic tourism, its history and its importance in the modern world. It is noted that gastronomic tourism meets all the requirements in the transition from a service economy to an experience economy. The basis of gastronomic tourism is an authentic product identified by territorial characteristics and can attract tourists to the region. The uniqueness of gastro tourism is highlighted as it links such as policy development and integrated planning, product development and packaging, promotion and marketing, distribution and sales, and operations and services in tourism destinations, which are key core activities in the tourism value chain. Ancillary activities related to the gastronomic product include transport and infrastructure, human resource development, technology and systems of other ancillary goods and services, which may not be associated with the leading tourism business but have a significant impact on the value of touris...