Culinary Tourism and Cultural Tourism: Exploring the Relationship

This essay explores the relationship between culinary tourism and cultural tourism. It discusses the importance and benefits of culinary tourism, and examines the interrelationship between food, drink, tourism, hospitality, and event experience. The essay also delves into the understanding of gastronomy and food consumption in the 21st century.

TLH 334 Gastronomy
Assessment Brief

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Gastronomy can be defined as the study of the relationship that exists between the culture
and food with the art that is involved and embedded in the preparation of serving delicate or rich
and appetizing food (Maberly, and Reid, 2014). It also represents various cooking styles of
specific regions and the science related to good eating. This essay will elaborate culinary tourism
is and how it links to cultural tourism, its major importance and its holistic benefits. The essay
will understand hospitality, events and the role of food and drink for tourism as well as evaluate
interrelationship between food, drink, tourism, hospitality and event experience. The essay will
describe interaction between socialisation, culture, food and drink, and tourism and explore the
importance of food and drink for local culture. Apart from these, the essay will determine
understanding of gastronomy and food consumption in the 21st century.
MAIN BODY
Culinary tourism
Culinary tourism is also referred as food tourism or the gastronomy tourism which is basically
the exploration of the food as the tourism purpose. This has now become the most vital
component of the tourism experience. The tourists consider the dining out more important than
the climate, accommodation and the scenery. The food tourism or the culinary experience is
basically the pursuit of memorable and unique experiences regarding the eating and drinking
both near and far. Culinary tourism is a new and vibrant category of the specialized tourism
where people prefer going places for sampling authentic cuisine and truly immersing in the
experience of the living in that place through the food. This includes the local beverages,
chocolates, cheese etc. Many enthusiastic people prefer taking their love of food to a new level
by linking the food tourism with the cooking lessons which let the people to take some of the
valuable recipes and cooking techniques at home. These can be offered by well-known cookery
schools or in the resorts to in-house guests or can be the individual chefs who are specialised in
the local cuisine (Hjalager and Richards, 2003).
Culinary tourism is basically travelling beyond the immediate neighbourhood in order to
find great food. It also includes the experience of tourism in which the person learns about,
consumes, appreciates and indulges in food and drinks that reflects the local cuisine, culture or
heritage of the place. It was observed that the further the tourists travel, the wider the culinary
3

experiences they enjoy. The culinary tourism is not about the food they eat and also not
necessarily it is about dining but also it deals in eating adventurously for seeking out the new
culinary experiences.
The food tourism is considered to be central to the modern tourism and directly
influences to the hospitality industry and the economy of UK. This made the country and the
culture’s perspective helps in developing the food culture for supporting the growing trend of the
culinary tourism. Also, this was observed in UK that food is considered as a reflection of eating
habits of culture along with interning a destination culture, people and history (Frost and et.al.,
2016). Different countries and the districts are associated with the different type of food for
example Italy is associates with pizza and pasta, India with fragrant curry, japan with ramen and
so on. People belonging to different cultural backgrounds eat different foods and this fact can be
embraced by a taste trekker and they are eager to learn about the varied cultures and their
cuisines. Due to the growing trends of authenticity, food is now the most significant aspect in the
experience of the tourist of a destination. If a person is much busy also, then the time is taken to
sit and have the food. They also prefer eating the street food and also observed for taking photos
and to capture the moments. These memories work when these are looked back after the holidays
and the memorable food is remembered along with the experiences they had while taking the
food. This does not end here; food can also become the social occasion for the busy people for
connecting with the family and friends and helps in creating a time oasis. This becomes the time
for the families for enjoying the meal together and also to chat about the day. Along with the
increasing desire for new experiences, the more important the need is for authentic experiences
(de Albuquerque Meneguel, Mundet and Aulet, 2019). Authenticity in food clearly indicates that
the food is simply rooted in the region, is ethical, beautiful, natural and human. These all are
done in order to make the food tourism a destination.
The main focus of the culinary tourism is the food products but the gastro-tourism
extends beyond the food we eat. This includes the way people eat, the place and the time they eat
along with the reason behind eating the particular food. The food tourists are allowed and the
taste trekkers get the opportunity to learn about the food in detail. Food also motivates the
gastro-tourists for travelling where the locations are just considered as the stopovers to the next
food destination. These experiences can also be categorized as hands-on and responsible for
behind the scene experiences (Sormaz and et.al., 2016). Culinary tourism is the major focus
4

which can be used for the attraction in order to explore and the destination for the tourism. Food
is the most important part of the hospitality services for the tourists but this includes the variety
of products and formats. This also includes the other aspects like culinary trials, restaurants,
cooking classes, cookbooks, farm weekends, food guides along with the new or adapted recipes,
ingredients and dishes. This also lays emphasis on the experience of dining, tasting of new foods
as a commercial enterprise. This is also considered as the educational initiative which channels
curiosity regarding the food into learning through it about the culture of a particular cuisine, the
people who are involved in the production and its preparation, the food system helps in providing
access to food and the potential contribution to the tourists towards the sustainability (Stone,
Migacz and Wolf, 2019).
Relation between culinary tourism and cultural tourism
Culinary tourism can be related to cultural tourism in many ways and thus can be
considered a subset of cultural tourism. Cultural tourism is basically the actions of travelling and
visiting specific places and destinations for experiencing and learning about various cultures.
Cultural tourism involves various activities like attending certain festivals and events, visiting
museums and tasting and consuming the local cuisine, food and drinks that is famous in context
of that particular region or culture. Cultural tourism can be referred as to unintentional segment
of the tourism experiences and it is evitable part of the holiday to interact and communicate with
the local people, learn the language and customers and most significantly learn about the local
cuisine (Stone, Migacz and Wolf, 2019). Food has always been a centre of attention whenever
people travel. It also plays an important role in enhancing the overall experience of the trip or
visit and experiencing the destination to its full potential. The local food that is consumed or the
way it is eaten, presented and cooked represents a lot of things and history regarding the culture.
The culture also describes the values of that particular culture through the food. For example, in
India, the food is very spicy which represents the cultural significance of spices and also that the
country has been the top spice trader (Stone and et.al., 2018). Food and drinks of any culture
represent the cultural identity and traditional food is also seen as a way of preserving the culture.
In context to china, the harmony in people is reflected in the food where a mixed flavour can be
noted of salty, spicy, sour, bitter and sweet. The Chinese culture believes that the food should be
nutritious as well as appealing, which can be reflected in the gastronomy. The cuisine of USA in
5

a similar manner reflects its history as the European colonisation and influx of immigrants has
been imbibed in the food through ingredients and cooking styles, which shows a rich diversity.
So culinary tourism is highly associated with tourism due the fact that heritage of a culture can
be observed and consumed through the food and drinks of the culture itself (Sanchez-Cañizares
and Castillo-Canalejo, 2015). All the visitors that aim to travel to other country and regions
always emphasize on learning about the local cuisine and food is a portal to the culture and has
to be treated as such. In terms of cultural tourism and gastronomy, it has been noted that the
events experiences, culture, hospitality and the food and drinks are all interrelated with each
other, such that the positivity and effective one can directly improve the experience and value of
the others. Hospitality industry is a wide category that consists of various segments and fields
within a service industry such as food and drink, events panning, restaurant, lodging and hotels,
and transportation etc. It has been one of the fastest growing industries in the UK through
provision of quality services to customers (Wijaya and et.al., 2016). It is directly impacted by the
tourism sector and as tourism demand and numbers increase, the rise of hotels and hospitality
also increases. Also, tourism is affected by the level of hospitality that a country or region
provides usually with the quality and the availability of appropriate services as per the needs of
the consumers and visitors. In recent times globalisation has led to an increased cultural tourism
which has been a direct reason for the rise in culinary tourism. There are various methods to get
to know the cuisine of the culture, most of it is directly associated with hospitality through
café’s, restaurants, and even through couch hopping or staying with the locals to learn the home
made and traditional cuisines first hand (Ottenbacher and Harrington, 2013).
Gastronomy and the 21st century
The major drives of culinary tourism are the fact that modern consumers have started
viewing food more than gaining nutrient but to become a part of the slowing down of various life
aspects and quality lifestyle. The demand for speciality food and growing interests for change in
terms of food and beverage has been fuelling culinary tourism. It is also associated with
multiculturalism especially in Canada and USA, and the increasing demand for mixing various
cultures for higher sophistication in expectations and tastes (Sotiriadis, 2015). There is a higher
curiosity in the 21st century to use different ingredients and try and cook new styles and cuisines.
Gastronomy is a major driver in the tourism industry as more travellers have agreed to dine out
6

in the travelling plans. Dining out is also one of the most prominent activity that tourists
undertake during any travel. When the culinary tourism is the primary focus in the travel, the
places that are visited more often consist of areas like cooking schools, wineries and vineyards,
food and beverage festival, bars, restaurant, cafes, street food and local retreats etc. The ultimate
benefit of culinary tourism is that it is one of the best ways to teach people reading the history,
trends, beliefs and culture of an area. For example, the traditional Indian food will not contain
any beef due to the religious significance. Similarly, the food in Italy signifies detailing in food
preparation like pasta with various shape and widths, signifying the importance of art in the
country (Liberato, Mendes and Liberato, 2020). In more recent times, the molecular gastronomy
has been quite popular for experiencing and understanding the chemical basis of cooking. In
recent developments, gastronomy has even been introduced with advancements like changing
and invention of new food compositions such as lab grown meet. There have been various
modern trends that influence food tourism in the current times such as cultural events, food
festivals and music as well as arts festivals. This has led to invention of things like food trucks,
emphasis on dining out, collective gatherings, more use of digital media in marketing and
promotions, use of technology in gastronomy. There have been rising events in recent times that
are aimed at providing information regarding various cultures and improving globalisation,
cultural sensitivity, diversity, cultural awareness and multiculturism. Various programs, food and
cultural blogs on social media and television, food, travel and cooking programs and intercultural
gastronomy competitions and cooking shows have further spread the interest and drives culinary
tourism (López-Guzmán and et.al., 2017).
Importance and holistic benefits of culinary tourism
Culinary tourism or food tourism aims towards the pursuit of memorable and unique
drinking and eating experiences and is a subset of cultural tourism, as it considers cuisines as a
manifestation of culture. The culinary experiences are not constrained to gourmet food and is a
part of experiential travel. The major reason why cultural tourism is important is because food is
the fundamental economic drivers in relation to tourism and that many cultures, regions, towns
and cities are known for the type of cuisine or food. As per Björk and Kauppinen-Räisänen,
(2016) in terms of economic impact, culinary tourism has been prominent since 2001 and
estimated to be a major contributor to overall tourism, ranging from 15 % to 35 % of the total
7

spending expenditure largely relying on the affordability of the destination. The demand of
culinary choices and tourism impacts the food supply chain and even agriculture of the country
or region a lot (Björk and Kauppinen-Räisänen, 2016). The culinary tourism benefits include
higher number of visitors in the region or country, overall higher sales, higher media attention,
more tax revenue and higher pride for the entire culture or community as more and more people
come to know regarding the culture and its values that it portrays. The gastronomy can help in
representation of key features and attractiveness of the tourist area and also is a major aspect of
the decision-making process in travel and tourism. There are many places with high tourism due
the aspect of having a strong gastronomy tradition such as the middle east cultures and Asian
cultures. If the gastronomy traditions are strong, the life style and the level of participation of the
local or native people that reside there and their maintenance of their way of life is strongly
reflected on the appreciation of the food. Also, when it comes to appreciation of wine and food,
it can be counted as extremely subjective experience dur to the difference in the individual sense
of attitude, perception, taste and overall experience. The entire experience in the food tourism
can be attributed to individual tastes, values, and experiences. Also, regionality become
significant, specifically in context of promotion of the food and tourism attributes. Culinary
tourism is also important as food has always been the primary motivation for all human
functions, form social connections and practice gratification, which is enhanced through culinary
tourism (Coughlan and Saayman, 2018).
Other holistic benefits of culinary tourism are the fact that visitors can further know and
learn about the cuisines through socialisation, hospitality, events and food and drinks altogether.
Festivals and events are the major causes of people to socialise and get together, where the food
becomes the primary aspect in the entire experience. Food can be thus directly related to
improving socialisation among people and do it along with enjoying an event. From dinners to
high tea, food has been means to gather people across various cultures as well as many festivals
always end up with consumption of food. Culinary tourism thus increases socialisation through
dining out activities and results in improved emotional health apart from gaining the insights and
knowledge into the specific culture. Food helps in connecting people which improves social
relations and communication among people (Getz and et.al., 2014). It is a major reason why
various cultures focus on family dinners and value eating together. Culinary tourism also helps in
the increased production of healthier and hygienic food items due to the high number of visitors.
8

the culture which is usually visited aims at highlighting the best pats of the culture and makes
people prouder of their ingredients, recipes and culture. People also gain the interest in
consumption of more locally farmed products, organic and natural ingredients which instigate
more healthy culture in the region. Food is also beneficial for relieving stress and depression in
people and can be often considered as a leisure pursuit that can be uniquely positioned like a
pathway for liberation (Robinson, Getz and Dolnicar, 2018). The benefits of food tourism extend
to the entire value chain and the environment apart from merely the tourists. Food tourism
develops cultural and social awareness by connecting various tourists to destinations at distinct
level sin the society. There is better income distribution that can be observed alongside the
various phases of the food and beverage value chain. Food tourism also helps in the inclusion
and provision of opportunities to different minority groups and emphasis is put into biodiversity,
culture, traditional food and overall preserving of the cultural heritage. The culinary tourism
enhances the entrepreneurship spirit in the regional community and has high contribution in the
wider development of the local communities (Everett and Slocum, 2013). Apart from all these,
food tourism tends to reduce and minimize the negative effects of the massive tourism that is
witnessed in the urban areas and also balances out the tourist across various seasons and regions.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it can be observed and understood from the essay that culinary tourism has
been gaining a lot of importance and rising tremendously in recent times. The concepts of
gastronomy and cultural tourisms were elaborated and explained through various aspects.
Culinary tourism is a relatively new and vibrant category of the specialized tourism where people
visit places for tasting authentic cuisine and truly immersing in the experience of the living in
that place through the food. Culinary tourism can be related to cultural tourism in many ways
and thus can be considered a subset of cultural tourism. Dining out was observed as a prominent
activity that tourists undertake along with attending cooking schools, wineries and vineyards,
food and beverage festival, bars, restaurant, cafes, street food and local retreats etc. The
gastronomy in the modern generation was elaborated and the major holistic benefits and
important of culinary tourism was described.
9

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Björk, P. and Kauppinen-Räisänen, H., 2016. Exploring the multi-dimensionality of travellers'
culinary-gastronomic experiences. Current Issues in Tourism, 19(12), pp.1260-1280.
Coughlan, L.M. and Saayman, M., 2018. The relationship between the culinary preference and
culinary satisfaction. Tourism and hospitality management, 24(2), pp.235-256.
de Albuquerque Meneguel, C.R., Mundet, L. and Aulet, S., 2019. The role of a high-quality
restaurant in stimulating the creation and development of gastronomy
tourism. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 83, pp.220-228.
Everett, S. and Slocum, S.L., 2013. Food and tourism: An effective partnership? A UK-based
review. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 21(6), pp.789-809.
Frost, W., and et.al., 2016. Gastronomy, tourism and the media. Channel View Publications.
Getz, D., and et.al., 2014. Foodies and food tourism. Oxford: Goodfellow Publishers.
Hjalager, A.M. and Richards, G. eds., 2003. Tourism and gastronomy. Routledge.
Liberato, P., Mendes, T. and Liberato, D., 2020. Culinary Tourism and food trends. In Advances
in Tourism, Technology and Smart Systems (pp. 517-526). Springer, Singapore.
López-Guzmán, T., and et.al., 2017. Gastronomic festivals: Attitude, motivation and satisfaction
of the tourist. British Food Journal.
Maberly, C. and Reid, D., 2014. Gastronomy: an approach to studying food. Nutrition & Food
Science.
Ottenbacher, M.C. and Harrington, R.J., 2013. A case study of a culinary tourism campaign in
Germany: Implications for strategy making and successful implementation. Journal of
Hospitality & Tourism Research, 37(1), pp.3-28.
Robinson, R.N., Getz, D. and Dolnicar, S., 2018. Food tourism subsegments: A data‐driven
analysis. International Journal of Tourism Research, 20(3), pp.367-377.
Sanchez-Cañizares, S. and Castillo-Canalejo, A.M., 2015. A comparative study of tourist
attitudes towards culinary tourism in Spain and Slovenia. British Food Journal.
Sormaz, U., and et.al., 2016. Gastronomy in tourism. Procedia Economics and Finance, 39,
pp.725-730.
Sotiriadis, M.D., 2015. Culinary tourism assets and events: suggesting a strategic planning
tool. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Stone, M.J., and et.al., 2018. Elements of memorable food, drink, and culinary tourism
experiences. Journal of Travel Research, 57(8), pp.1121-1132.
Stone, M.J., Migacz, S. and Wolf, E., 2019. Beyond the journey: the lasting impact of culinary
tourism activities. Current Issues in Tourism, 22(2), pp.147-152.
Wijaya, S., and et.al., 2016, May. Exploration of Culinary Tourism in Indonesia: What Do the
International Visitors Expect?. In Asia Tourism Forum 2016-the 12th Biennial
Conference of Hospitality and Tourism Industry in Asia. Atlantis Press.
10