Gastronomy as a Tourism Product - Term Paper Example

Gastronomy as a Tourism Product Name Course Tutor Institution Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Gastronomy as a Tourism Product 3 Introduction 3 The concept of gastronomy 3 Gastronomy as a tourism tool 4 Relating site visits of food production to tourism 5 Importance of wine trail on tourism 7 Conclusion 8 Kivela, J. & Crotts, J. 2006, Tourism and Gastronomy: Gastronomy's Influence on How Tourists Experience a Destination, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, Vol. 30, No. 3, 354-377. 8 TourismAustralia, 2013, Food and wine trails - Hunter Valley, Retrieved on October 23, 2013 from: . 9 Gastronomy as a Tourism Product Introduction Food has been increasingly growing in its importance to tourism. This has led to the development of gastronomic tourism, or otherwise, touristic products. Food continues to play a key role in tourism. As this develops, there are various upcoming trends that make gastronomy gain popularity in most touristic travels. According to Guzman and Canizares (2011), gastronomy has become a key factor in determining how competitive a tourist destination becomes. This has been spurred on by the recent changes in the trends in tourism. New trends that have emerged include emergence of low cost airlines, the ever developing efficiency of the internet and its effects on tourism, the desire to have more frequent holidays and the growing desire to have newer destinations. These changes have brought about major changes in the tourism industry and this implies that tourists are becoming more and more motivated by new experiences as well as attractions. In the traditional tourism setup, the main drive has been the sense of sight. This has limited the utilization of other senses during tourism. It is for this reason that gastronomy tourism has emerged so as to meet the new demand. This paper shall discus the importance of gastronomy as a tourism product. It shall do this based on two site visit experiences that are wine trail and food producer. The concept of gastronomy In an article by Greektourism2020, the term gastronomy was defined as a tourism product that constituted a mix of services, products and activities demonstrating the typical recipes and products of a region, the talent as well as the creativity that people in that region had through preparation of the products and the tradition and uniqueness of the region. The aim of such an exposure was meant to ensure that anyone visiting obtained a memorable traveling experience through gastronomy. This implies that gastronomy is a trans-disciplinary tool that does not replace the other disciplines of food and culture, food and marketing and food and society. Rather, it complements the other disciplines. Gastronomy can be used to imply reflective eating (Symons, 1998). It was further stated that this can be expanded to imply reflective food preparation and reflective cooking. All mannerisms of food production, food treatment, food storage, transport and processing, food preparation, digestion and physiological effects that food has on humans; along with the traditions, customs and choices of food are related to gastronomy. Gastronomy as a tourism tool According to Hjalager and Richards (2004), emphasis on the relation between tourism experiences and tourist attraction relative to food has been growing. In most cases, it is argued that eating while out on holiday should include consumption of the local heritage. This is comparable to the experience tourists get when they visit historical sites such as museums. The importance of gastronomy on tourism is unquestionable. This has a subsequent financial benefit. One view to this was stated to be the importance of good food to the tourist. This is a great source of satisfaction. On the other hand, good food invokes the urge to spend more and this is the subsequent financial benefit that is accrued to gastronomy. Whenever a tourist establishes that a certain location has good food, they are willing to spend more through trying out dishes in restaurants and through purchasing of gifts. On a more general view, it has been stated that when consumption of tourism is related to local gastronomy, the local economy is reinforced as well as the food processing and agricultural production sectors. In fact, the concept of gastronomic tourism refers to the tours made to destinations with the use of the local food and beverages as motivating factors. In a research conducted by Guzman and Canizares (2011), it was found out that gastronomy interacts with tourism in four manners that are distinct. The following are the four manners: The gastronomy of a place can be used as an attraction on its own; being used to promote itself. This implies that the foods and beverages prepared in the region are the sole reason for tourists to visit the place. Gastronomy can also be used as a component of the product of tourism where it is used in establishing the food and wine routes. It can also be used as an experience based on the existence of some places where cuisine has been on offer and has achieved a high level of recognition; being famous through its own right. Gastronomy can also be used as a constituent of the local culture. Through this, it can be sustained using a series of wine and food festivals. Relating site visits of food production to tourism Symons (1998) stated that the main aim of gastronomy is to ensure that there is preservation of man through use of the best nourishment possible. This implies that by ensuring man is well nourished, there is preservation. In a further analysis of gastronomy, it was stated that the object of gastronomy is to give guidance in accordance with certain principles to anyone who seeks, prepares and provides any substance that may be converted into food. This implies that gastronomy acts as a motivating factor to people who produce food. This is because food production gets some of its guidance from gastronomy and this is the reason individuals will produce foods that will be used to benefit both them and their society. Achieving these goals has been made possible through gastronomy since farmers and any other individual concerned with food production can focus on the elements of food that can be used to enhance their produce. Symons (1998) strongly stated that gastronomy was the motive force that was behind every farmer today. This was also a motivating factor among fishermen, huntsmen as well as winegrowers. In addition to these individuals, the great family of cooks is also included in the list of individuals who are motivated by gastronomy since they use good food as their good profile. The relationship between gastronomy and tourism is not questionable. However, research on whether there exists a group of people known as gastronomy tourists would better demonstrate the importance of this relationship. In a study of Hong Kong, it was important to find out whether the gastronomy of a region contributes to the quality of experience that individuals went through when they visited the destinations. It was also important to find out whether tourists returned to a certain region so as to sample out the gastronomy of the region again. Hong Kong is a city that offers variety and uniqueness in gastronomy (Kivela and Crotts, 2006). From the findings in Hong Kong, there is evidence suggesting that gastronomy plays a key role in motivating people to travel to the region. In addition, the Hong Kong findings reveal that the role played by gastronomy in the experience tourists get from a region is undoubted. In fact, it was revealed that there are some travelers who would travel back to the same destination so as to get the same unique gastronomy they had in their previous visit. Various studies related to gastronomy indicate that cultural studies have been related to producers of food, cooks as well as other professionals participating in conception, preparation and presentation of meals. These include gastronomic agents running from restaurant owners to destination managers in charge of gastronomic tourism. The effect of gastronomy on food production is based on the fact that the food consumed by people reflects their culture, their history and their heritage. For this reason, farmers will learn from gastronomy how to produce the best foods that will suit their culture. In Hong Kong, gastronomy plays a key role in their production of a variety of foods. When a culture of a certain food is developed in a region, this becomes the main motivating factor for tourists to come and visit the place (Jalis et al, 2009). Farmers who realize the effect of their food produce on tourism and on their financial returns work to improve their products based on their gastronomy and culture. The resulting effect of this kind of tourism is a better food product and better economic returns for the farmer. In this case, gastronomy has influenced the type of product made by farmers and people who play a role in development of a food product. This role is achieved through the drive by farmers to generate products that will best satisfy the tourists. The intention of the farmers is to attract the tourists again. Through his, they produce foods that are of high quality and the result is a preservation of man; as was pointed out by Symons (1998). The relation between food and culture is also observed since the region develops a certain culture and sticks to effective development of that culture so as to use it as a tourist attraction. Importance of wine trail on tourism Wine tourism is another concept that works together with gastronomy. This is a concept that was brought about so as to meet the demands brought about by the desire to exploit other senses other than the sense of sight. Research by Guzman and Canizares (2011) revealed that wine tourism offered a very rich assortment of sensory experiences satisfying the sense of smell, taste, touch, hearing and sight. Food and wine have been known to form a key part of the local life in a region. The importance of local lifestyles is dependent on the history, economy and culture of the region. The culture can be shaped by what people in the region like to indulge in. when people in the region embrace wine consumption, they develop the culture and this becomes a key motivation for tourists. For instance, the wine trail in the Hunter Valley is seen to be one that has attracted many tourists. In addition to the great restaurants, the wonderful gardens, the golf courses and the deluxe accommodation, this is one of the few regions for wine and through this, it offers a complete set of tourism experience. Wine still stands out as the reason for existence of the Hunter Valley. The region has about 180 wineries. The visitor has the option of selecting the wine trail that they want. In fact, every tourist has his or her own itinerary. This region is the most visited and this could be attributed to other factors such its closeness to Sydney city. This provides a strategic place since it is in the middle. When planning a visit to the region, there are other attractions sites that entail vineyards along with other wineries. The nation’s fine wine is found in this region. An example of a winery that provides one of the best wine experiences is the Scarborough Wine Co. known across the region (TourismAustralia, 2013). The importance of wine trails on tourism has been growing and this was even recognized in the New York where wine trails were implemented as part of the tourism plan. This was done through a legislation that was meant to expand all the existing wine trails. The main aim of this legislation was to enhance the economy of the region through tourism and agriculture. In fact, there is a wine and grape association that handles matter related to use of wine in promoting tourism. For first timers, advertisements are used to provide information on the experiences one would obtain through such a visit. After the experience, tourist would travel back to the place time and again so as to share the same experience. In fact, they would recommend the places to other people who would like to gain a great tourist experience. Conclusion Gastronomy has grown into an interesting concept relative to tourism. This has been driven by the discovery of the importance of gastronomy on both the locals and the tourists. For the locals, it provides them with a range of knowledge on how to produce the best out of the food and agriculture. On the other hand, tourists gain a lot from the experience they get when they make visits to places that greatly embrace gastronomy. The importance of gastronomy on food products and on wine tourism can be seen in the way tourists visit places based on the experience they had in their previous visit. In essence, gastronomy has greatly promoted tourism in many places as well as promoting the culture of the places. Bibliography Greektourism2020, Gastronomy, Available on October, 21, 2013 at: http://www.greektourism2020.gr/index.php?id=1918&L=1. Guzman, T. & Canizares, S. 2011, Gastronomy, Tourism and Destination Differentiation: A Case Study in Spain, University of Córdoba, Spain. Hjalager, A. & Richards, G. 2004, Tourism and Gastronomy, London: Taylor & Francis. Jalis, M., Zahari, M & Othman, Z., 2009, Western Tourists Perception of Malaysian Gastronomic Products, Asian Siocial Science, Vol. No. 1, 25-36. Kivela, J. & Crotts, J. 2006, Tourism and Gastronomy: Gastronomy's Influence on How Tourists Experience a Destination, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, Vol. 30, No. 3, 354-377. Symons, M. 1998, The Pudding that took a Thousand Cooks: The Story of Cooking in Civilization and Daily Life, Melbourne: Viking. TourismAustralia, 2013, Food and wine trails - Hunter Valley, Retrieved on October 23, 2013 from: . Read More