Understanding of Gastronomy as a Tourism Product - Case Study Example

Gastronomy Table of Content Executive Summary 2 Introduction 3 Gastronomy as a Tourism Product 3 Sites Visited 5 Melbourne Farmers’ Market 5 Yering Station 6 Conclusion 8 References 9 Executive Summary Drawing on two site visits at the Melbourne Farmers’ Market and the Yering Station, this report discusses the means by which gastronomy can be understood as a tourism product. Gastronomy is defined in this report as a multi-dimensional concept that encompasses different aspects that relate to human interaction with food. The findings of this report show that food is a key motivating factor of tourists’ travel. As a result, gastronomy can be considered as a tourism product mainly because it plays a critical role in adding value to the tourism value chain and enriching tourists’ experiences. Moreover, it contributes to the creation and expression of symbolic cultural identities and values. Since culture is a major driver of tourism, it is apparent that gastronomy is a subset of cultural tourism. Thus on this basis gastronomy can be regarded as a tourism product in itself. Introduction Gastronomy is generally a multi-dimensional concept that encompasses different aspects that relate to human interaction with food (Gillespie & Cousins 2012). It is normally regarded as the art and science of food. According to Symons (1999), gastronomy is a discipline that focuses on the development of knowledge about the preparation, consumption and quality of different types of food and drinks. In essence, it touches on food science, cooking techniques, nutritional information and any other aspect that pertains to human interaction with food (Gillespie & Cousins 2012; Symons 1999). Over the years, studies in gastronomy have found that knowledge or understanding of food and drinks contributes to the creation and expression of symbolic cultural identities and values. Since each culture has their own unique types of foods, ways of preparing food and consuming food, gastronomy has been found to be a key tool in the creation and transmission of cultural heritage (Bessiere 1998; Mint & Du bois 2002). Since culture is a major driver of tourism, gastronomy is considered to be a subset of cultural tourism. It is on this basis that gastronomy is often regarded as a tourism product (Bessiere 1998). This report seeks to critically discuss the means by which gastronomy can be understood as a tourism product by drawing on personal site visit experiences at the Melbourne Farmers’ Market and the Yering Station. Foremost, in reference to the social and cultural theories and the value chain theory this report will discuss how gastronomy is a tourism product. Secondly, it will provide background information about the two sites visited. Subsequently, by drawing on these two site visits, this report will recount how these experiences have contributed to my understanding of gastronomy as a tourism product. Gastronomy as a Tourism Product The value chain theory is commonly used in tourism studies to analyse the overall needs of tourists during holiday seasons in order to effectively assess the implications that tourism has on a particular region (Desinano & Vigo 1994). Nevertheless, Hjalager (2003) employs this theory to illustrate how gastronomy can be used to provide valuable products and services to tourists in order to increase their patronage. She notes that food forms a large part of the overall tourists’ experience thus value provided to tourists throughout the tourism sector can be increased by simply emphasising on the food element. Since gastronomy pays attention to both the tangible and intangible facets of food production and consumption. Its espousal in the mainstream tourism sector can play a critical role in adding value to the tourism value chain and enriching tourists’ experiences. Hjalager (2003) suggest that there are numerous ways in which gastronomy can be taken up as a value adding and economically viable tourism product. Firstly, providing tourist with information on the basic processes of food production from the initial supply of raw materials to the presentation of food on the table adds value to the tourism value chain and enriches tourists’ experiences. In this case information or pictures of lively and colourful food sources or raw materials used in food production can be used to convince tourists that food offered in a particular destination is natural, plentiful and of good quality. For example, travel brochures marked with lobsters and other sea food can be used in the promotion of coastal tourist destinations. Furthermore creating food fares and events or combining the sale of food with tourism events or activities can further add value to tourists and the tourism sector in general (Hjalager 2003). Richards (2003) argues that as the competition between tourism destinations intensifies, efforts directed towards discovering new tourist attraction products have led to the discovery of gastronomic tourism as a viable tourism product. Gastronomic tourism is a subset of tourism where local food and beverages are the key motivating factors of tourists’ travel. In this regard, Jalis et al (2009) observes that, Malaysian gastronomic products (local food and beverages) are a great contributor for the high tourist traffic the country experience through the year. Each year, many tourists from different countries around the world visit countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, India and China among others in order to experience and partake the unique local cuisines and beverages offered in these countries. Consequently, the foreign exchange earnings brought in by gastronomic tourism directly contributes to the economic development of these countries (Jalis et al, 2009). The identity of any society or culture is largely rooted in the type of food or beverage that they produce and regularly consume. For instance, the French are synonymously identified with wine. All cultures distinguish themselves from others by the methods they use in the preparation and presentation of food. In essence, the culinary practice of a particular culture establishes their identity and defines who they are. Hence the adage “You are what you eat.” In this regard, Bessiere (1998) argues that gastronomy designates an individual’s cultural identity and social status which in turn makes them unique from others. As a discipline, gastronomy focuses on knowledge or understanding of food and drinks thus it contributes to the creation of symbolic cultural identities and values. Given the fact each culture has their own unique types of foods, ways of preparing food and consuming food, gastronomy has been found to be a key tool in the creation and transmission of cultural heritage (Bessiere 1998; Mint & Du bois 2002). Since culture is a major driver of tourism, it is argued that gastronomy is a subset of cultural tourism. Thus on this basis that gastronomy is often regarded as a tourism product in itself (Bessiere 1998). Due to the strong relationship between food and cultural identity, studies have shown that food has become a key place marker when it comes to tourism promotion. Food has been be used as a means for guiding tourists around different regions. Hence Munsters (1994) considers gastronomy to be cultural tourism product. Sites Visited As part of the requirements for this course, I visited the Melbourne Farmers’ Market and the Yering Station. A visit to these sites provided invaluable insight on what gastronomy entails and why it is considered as a tourism product. The subsequent section of this report will provide a brief background of the two sites visited and their contribution to understanding gastronomy as a tourism product. Melbourne Farmers’ Market Melbourne Farmers’ Market (MFM) provides community-based platforms where various local farmers or food producers can showcase and sell a variety of food produce to consumers. The farmers’ market is particularly dedicated to Victorian food and producers, biodiversity, regional food cultures, seasonal produce and sustainable farming practices. In addition, the farmers’ market provides a platform where farmers or food producers connect and strengthen their relationships with consumers (MFM 2014). During my visit at the Melbourne Farmers’ Market, I had entertaining, informational and enriching tourist experience. While doing rounds at the market, three main things stood out for me. The first thing was the variety of food products that were available at the market. On that particular day food producers and farmers from different parts of Victoria brought an expansive variety of foods ranging from seasonal fruits and vegetables, different dairy and meat products, cut flowers and plants, cakes and pastries, oils, honey and jams among many others. As I moved from one food stand to another I encountered different varieties of regional foods and beverages that I was initially not familiar with. In addition to this many farmers and food producers at the market provided food samples that visitors can taste in order to get a feel of what their product is all about. This experience was generally engaging and enriching. The second thing that stood out for me while visiting the market was the interactive nature of the market. Unlike the conventional grocery markets or stores where producers have no connections with the consumers, Melbourne Farmers Market provides a forum where food producers and farmers can interact with consumers face to face. As a result, food producers and farmers are able to provide information regarding the qualities and benefits of their products. On the other hand, consumers are able to ask questions or seek clarification about various food products. Through this interaction, I noticed that many consumers were compelled to buy different food products and try out new products. Resultantly, many food producers and farmers were able to sell out their products and make new contacts with consumers for future supply. Lastly, I noticed that the market attracted visitors of different age groups, cultural and geographical backgrounds. Some visitors that I interacted with at the market revealed that they had travelled for long distance so as to experience the variety of regional cultural foods that Victorian farmers and food producers had to offer. Yering Station The Yering Station is a family owned winery located in Melbourne. Initially started as a wine vineyard over the years the Yering Station has grown to become a state-of-the art winery that not only produces quality wine but also provides a wide range of tourist and hospitality services. This station is considered as a landmark tourist destination in Melbourne since it provides visitors with an exceptional opportunity to experience and learn about the processes of wine production and sample a variety of wine products. Furthermore, the Yering Station has a wine bar restaurant and wine store with stunning architecture. Additionally, the station is well equipped and designed to accommodate a wide range of functions such as weddings, corporate events, birthday celebration and private dining. Similar to the Melbourne Farmers’ Market site visit, my visit to the Yering station was entertaining, informational and an enriching tourist experience. While at the station, I was taken through the wine vineyard and the overall wine production facilities. I was able to interact with the various attendants and staff at the station who provided invaluable information about the history of the Yering station and how wine is produced. Moreover, I was able to sample a variety of wine products offered at the station. The experiences I had while visiting Melbourne Farmers’ Market and the Yering station provided invaluable insight on what gastronomy entails and how it is a tourism product. One of the things evident from these sites visits is that they both capitalize on food and drinks to draw visitors. In both sites gastronomy is majorly epitomised in the way in which the proprietors provide tourist with information on the basic processes of food production from the initial supply of raw materials to the presentation of food on the table. For instance, at the farmers market food producers and farmers provide information to consumers regarding the processes used to produce various products. Similarly, at the Yering station visitors are provided information about the wine production processes. This in turn enriches their experiences. Moreover, based on these site visits gastronomy has been presented as a tool for cultural expression and a subset of culture that creates symbolic cultural identities. Give that culture is a major driver of tourism, in this case it is plausible to argue that gastronomy is a tourism product (Bessiere 1998; Hegarty & O’mahony 1999). Conclusion Drawing on the experiences I had while visiting Melbourne Farmers’ Market and the Yering station, it became evident that gastronomy is a viable tourism product. From these visits I learnt that knowledge of food and drinks and how it relates to man (gastronomy) can be a major driver of tourism that not only provides tourists additional value but also brings about economic gain to the tourism sector. Gastronomy as evident in these two site visits designates a certain cultural identity that in turn plays a critical role in promoting tourism. For instance, at both the farmers’ market and Yering station, a considerable number of visitors were tourists who had travelled for long distance so as to experience the variety of regional cultural foods and drinks that Victorian food producers had to offer. Since culture is a major driver of tourism, it is apparent that gastronomy is a subset of cultural tourism. Thus on this basis gastronomy can be regarded as a tourism product in itself. References Bessiere, J 1998, Local Development and Heritage: Traditional Food and Cuisine as Tourist Attractions in Rural Areas. Blackwell Publishers, Malden. Desinano, P. & Vigo, C 1994, Developing information technology options in the hotel industry: the value chain approach, in A.V Seaton et al (eds). Tourism: The state of the Art, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester. Gillespie, C & Cousins, J 2012, European Gastronomy into the 21st Century, Routledge, London. Hjalager, A., 2003, ‘A Typology of Gastronomy Tourism’, in A. Hjalager & Richards, G. Tourism and Gastronomy, Routledge, London Hegarty, A.J & O’mahony, B.G 1999, ‘Gastronomy: A Phenomenon of Cultural Expression and Aesthetic for Living, ‘Journal of Tourism Education vol. 11, issue 4, pp. 25-29 Jalis, H.M, Zahari, M.S.M, Izzat, M &Othman, Z. 2009,‘Western Tourists Perception of Gastronomic Products,’Asian Social Science vol. 5, no. 1. Melbourne Farmers’ Market (MFM) 2014, About Us, viewed September 1 2014 Mintz, W.S & Du Bois, C.M. 2002, ‘The Anthropology of Food and Eating.’ Annual Review of Anthropology, vol. 31, pp. 99-119. Munsters, W., 1994, Cultuurteorisme, Grant, Leuven. Symons, M., 1999, 'Gastronomic authenticity and sense of place', in: Proceedings of the Ninth Australian Tourism and Hospitality Education Conference, Adelaide: CAUTHE: 333-340 Richards, G., 2003, ‘Gastronomy: an essential ingredients in tourism production and consumption’ A. Hjalager & Richards, G. Tourism and Gastronomy, Routledge, London. Yering Station, 2014, History and Heritage, viewed September 1 2014 Read More