Effect of Globalization on Gastronomic Tourism - Term Paper Example

Gastronomy and Tourism Name: Course: Tutor: Institution: City and State: Date: Gastronomy and Tourism Introduction Gastronomy refers to the art of selecting and cooking good food. The practice involves the interaction of food and culture in development of special cuisines. The culture of the people highly influences their choice of food from the available variety of foods in their environment. The local cuisine of a community therefore holds the story of the community for generations. Food forms part of the necessities of a person (Bell & Valentine 2000 pp.100). Over the centuries, food has transformed from being a mere necessity to a luxury component. Tourism involves the travel to locations outside one’s normal environment for leisure, recreation and sometimes for business purposes. In most cases, the time available for tourism becomes limited due to the numerous experiences available for the tourists. Initially, the tourism industry focused on natural sceneries such as wild animals. However, with industrialization, nature has suffered corrosion and modern buildings have taken over. Changing times have made people prioritize vacations due to the current stressful lifestyles. The need for quality tourism experiences places a lot of pressure on the industry players pushing them to look for ways to enhance the experiences. Maximizing the experience through memorable encounters for tourists is therefore a major objective of the tourism industries globally. Food always offers unique and memorable experiences due to its universal aspect. Therefore, gastronomy has a large influence on the tourism industry as it ignites the attraction to a country’s tourist destinations. Effect of Globalization on Gastronomic Tourism The competitive nature of the global tourism industry has made Australia to perfect on its strengths in order to remain one of the leading tourist destinations in the world. The main tourist attractions include the Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Gold Coast beaches among others. However, other countries offer their own unique natural scenery such as wild animals, reefs among others. Tourism has shifted from passive tourism like gazing at beautiful landscapes to searching for active interaction with locals (Croce & Perri 2010 pp.200). Interactions with local communities offer the tourists authentic and memorable experiences. The local communities have a lot to offer which includes their unique culture and their cuisine. Gastronomy offers the best options to add value to cultural tourism. It seals the experience gained from local communities by making it more memorable and enabling them to re-live the moment through cooking it later. Technological advancements have also contributed to the growth of the tourism industry globally. Tourists can access information about Australia and its rich cultural diversity, which attracts them for a firsthand experience. The internet also improves the experience obtained from the local cuisine through availability of recipes and direct interactions with chefs at certain websites. The Heritage Portrayed By Gastronomy Tourism and gastronomy interact at various levels since food forms a great part of the tourism experience. Various regions possess unique cultures that distinguish them from others. Parts of these cultures include religious and cultural practices, cultural objects, and local delicacies among others. The cooking adopted by communities portrays the available ingredients to them and their cultural practices. The communities possess an authenticity signature depending on their main ingredients or distinct cultural practices. This enables an easy distinction of the cuisines according to their origin. The cuisine of a community tells a lot about their culture and religious beliefs. The different regions therefore prepare special delicacies with exotic ingredients to form part of their identity. Tourists visiting the regions enjoy the delicacies and can later identify various foods with the regions where the food was prepared for them. Cuisine forms a major part of identity of various regions in the postmodern world (Hjalager 2004 pp.112). Cultural Tourism and Gastronomy Gastronomy incorporates the cultural aspects of various communities. Culture refers to the way of life of a certain community. It includes the mode of dressing, cooking, and the language of communication. Food mostly involves the participation of all the community members in either its preparation or consumption. It therefore incorporates many aspects of the community’s culture in terms of the ingredients, mode of cooking and presentation. A meal includes customs, choices, traditions, and manners. These aspects highly vary according to the culture of various people. The customs attached to meals in one community may differ in another community. Restaurants act as cultural destinations offering food as cultural artifacts. Local cuisine draws attention to the region associated with it. The focus goes to the culture of the region and the reasons for their choice of food. Food also adds value to cultural tourism since one cannot study culture without covering the meals of the community. Meals often act as a tool of unity in most communities bringing people together to share experiences and inviting tourists join offers them a memorable experience (Hjalager 2004 pp.111). Trends in Gastronomic Tourism Globalization highly influences the revolution of gastronomic tourism. Food is a common factor for people from all over the world. Various communities celebrate food and attach certain beliefs and practices to it. Food therefore sells globally and forms a major part of the tourist attractions of a region. Foreign tourists visit Australia with the hope of tasting the wide variety of local delicacies. The foreigners contribute their culinary ideas from their respective cultures, which results into a fusion cuisine. This also emerges in the third culture babies where the generations from multicultural heritage fuse the cultures of their parents into one of their own. This forms the basis of the molecular gastronomy concept where modern chefs try to transform existing local cuisines into their own specialty cuisine. Modern restaurants emphasize on gourmet dining since modern tourists prioritize it (Quan & Wang 2004 pp.59). . The beauty of local cuisine lies in the art of preparation and presentation of a fine meal. Cooking schools have emerged to train local on the art of preparing good food in order to treat tourists from all over the world with an indelible experience. Economic Implications of Gastronomy National income forms the backbone of every economy. Tourism contributes a huge amount of the national income of Australia making it a crucial industry for the country. Tourists flood in to enjoy the various attractions available in the country, which results into cash inflow to the economy. Increased population also leads to the rise in demand for local commodities. Such commodities include the local cuisine and farm produce that offer ingredients for the dishes. Thus, the agricultural industry greatly benefits from tourism as the demand for their produce rises and the international market grows (Rodgers 2001 pp.64). Australia holds various food and wine festivals where various producers can display their fresh ingredients and chefs show off their expertise in preparation of gourmet cuisine. This offers a platform for related businesses to meet potential clients and obtain new ideas on how to improve their operations to gain a competitive advantage. This also offers entrepreneurial opportunities by highlighting the unexploited potential in the tourism industry. The wine and food festivals enable familiarization with the available delicacies in the regions. This directs tourists to various locations for the cuisine of their choice. Yering Station Winery and Farmers Market Yering station automatically gives one a tourism experience. Its location at Yarra Valley has inviting scenery that attracts one from a distance. Incorporation of gastronomy at this tourists’ attraction enhances the experience at yering station. The location offers a great view where everyone would enjoy visiting regardless of his or her interests. The beautiful gardens capture the eye of every visitor at first sight. The traditional homestead holds a cultural aspect that offers an idea of how the region looked like in the early years. The impression prepares the mind for a memorable experience that yering station offers. At the entrance, they provide ample parking for visitors. The Farmers Market The Yarra valley regional food group holds a monthly farmers market on the third Sunday at the yering station. The best farmers in the region take part in the fair offering the best produce available. This offers a platform for the local farmers to display their farm produce. Potential customers identify their favorite produce and make orders. The region enjoys a climate conducive for agriculture. Most types of farm produce do well in the region hence farming gives income to a large number of farmers. The available farm produce includes flowers, jams, beer, orange juice, fruits, and organic vegetables among other ingredients utilized in making of local culinary dishes. Local and foreign tourists visit the location to sample the beautifully displayed farm products. The farmers market demonstrates the wide variety of business opportunities that gastronomy offers. Gastronomic Experience at Farmers Market A direct interaction with the farmers offers an opportunity to understand more about the organic produce. The farm market enables the visitors enjoy the natural source of the local dishes. The display of the produce appeals to the eye and portrays the art of gourmet cuisine. The wide variety of produce also portrays the wide variety of culinary dishes that originate from similar ingredients. The recipes used at yering station utilize the fresh produce offered at the market. The celebration of the farmer’s products demonstrates the appreciation of gastronomy. The wine bar restaurant offers gourmet cuisine specially prepared for the customers. The signature restaurant overlooks magnificent views of the Yarra valley. The wonderful view and enjoyable music make the food a more memorable experience. The menus include modern Australian cuisine that utilizes the available fresh produce. The baked pumpkin tofu, polenta chips, grilled squash, Jerusalem artichoke veloute served as a main dish gives one an unforgettable experience. Some of the desserts offered include financier, baked rhubarb, and mascarpone and beetroot parfait. The fine art used in presentation of the food demonstrates the great importance attached to fine dining at this location. The speed of service and the helpful waiters gives the customers a sense of value. Cutleries used enhance the food presentation and mimic the beauty of the magnificent view. Wine Trail Wine tasting involves the use of one’s senses to understand and enjoy the wine. Observing the appearance of wine in terms of color and clarity tells about the quality. With age, red wines lose their original color while white wines get darker. Good wine has great color intensity. The winery station offers the best wines made from some of the local ingredients. Some of these exemplary wines include chardonnay, pinot noir and Medos honey vodka. Chardonnay wine comes from chardonnay grapes that bud and ripen early in the season. The grapes provide the base for some of the best sparkling wine in the world. They produce flavors and aromas rich in citrus, apple, and tropical fruit. Some of the chardonnay wines appear buttery with a toasty feel. The wine has a fruity and crisp taste and works best when served alongside poultry and seafood dishes. The 2012 Yering Station Reserve Pinot Noir contains a blend of savory spice, exotic blue violet perfume, and briary frits. The cherry oak and the chocolate compliment this intoxicating mix giving it a signature rich taste. Medos Honey Vodka has unique characteristics with a smooth feel. The spirit originates from the early 1800s and its ingredients include fruits and grains. Gastronomic Experience at the Wine Trail The wide variety of the wine offered at yering station demonstrates the importance of offering choices to customers. Exercising the freedom of choice enables maximum satisfaction of their needs and encourages their contribution in giving feedback about their experience. All the wine offered for tasting qualifies as quality wine which portrays the station as a first class wine station. The expensive glassware used to serve the wine enhances the remarkable experience. This shows that food itself does not provide maximum satisfaction but its preparation and presentation elevates the eating art (Richards & Wilson 2004 pp.28). The appearance of the glassware gives the wine an expensive appearance and attracts numerous tasters monthly. The music played at the wine tasting event make the experience enjoyable. This clearly demonstrates that gastronomy does not only focus on the food but also on the feelings resulting from eating the food. The exemplary view completes one’s experience proving once again that gastronomy enhances tourism. Conclusion The shift in the needs of the tourists requires a proportionate shift in the modes of satisfying the needs. Traveling has become a priority for locals who travel to various destinations annually. The major determinants of their destinations include travel expenses, weather changes, media coverage of the areas among others. It has emerged that availability of restaurants and shops largely influence the choice of their travel destinations for tourists. Local cuisine facilitates cultural tourism since food acts as a cultural artifact. Foreign tourists carry recipes of local cuisine to their countries and celebrate Australian culture through cooking it. Australia also exports a large number of farm produce and unique ingredients due to its cuisine popularity globally. Gastronomy therefore posses a major influence on the tourism industry (Quan & Wang 2004 pp.52). Food provides a common ground for people from various cultures and promotes their interaction. The foreign tourists also provide a substantial influence on local cuisine. Most local restaurants customize various cuisines to suit the tastes of people of different origins. This enhances the experience for the tourists and ensures they return for another similar encounter. Incorporating gastronomy as a marketing strategy for tourism diversifies the tourist attractions (Rodgers 2001 pp.77). This translates into a wide range of tourists hence increased foreign exchange income. The high GDP derived from the high-income level leads to an accelerated rate in the country’s development in terms of infrastructure, economic stability among others. Gastronomic tourism does not only enhance the impression on foreign tourists but also promotes the pride of the locals in their heritage. It involves the celebration of local cuisine and culture hence shows appreciation of their lifestyle. The wide variety in the culinary experiences and regional cultures offer options for tourists. Freedom of choice on their destinations enables their contribution to experiencing fulfilling encounters. Improvement of gastronomy therefore holds the key to unlocking the full potential of the tourism industry. References Bell D. & Valentine G., 2000, Consuming Geographies: We Are Where We Eat, London, Routledge. Croce, E, Perri, G. 2010, Food, and Wine Tourism, Heinemann Hjalager Anne-Mette, Richards Greg Taylor & Francis 2004, Tourism and Gastronomy: Routledge Advances in Tourism, Routledge Quan, S. & Wang, N., 2004, Towards a Structural Model of the Tourist Experience: An Illustration from Food Experiences in Tourism, Tourism Management   Richards Greg, Wilson Julie 2004, the Global Nomad: Backpacker Travel In Theory and Practice, Channel View Publications Rodgers Janet 2001, Advanced Travel and Tourism, Heinemann Publishers Read More