Gastronomony as Special Interest Tourism

 Gastronomoy Definitions and Special Interest Tourism

 

In order to discuss gastronomic tourism as a niche segment of special interest tourism it is essential to initial define special interest tourism and gastronomic tourism, followed by a discussion of the key features and characteristics of gastronomic tourism and completed with an analysis of the primary motivating factors for the tourists embarking upon gastronomic tourism.

Special interest tourism is an area of tourism that can be defined as offering tourists a real and authentic experience of travel that is customised to their specific desires and needs.  It also involves small-scale, tailor-made holidays, as opposed to mass tourism and can therefore focus more upon the individual, offering a higher level of involvement as well as a better quality product (Derrett 2001).

Within the area of special interest tourism is the niche segment of gastronomic tourism which can be described as offering a tourist a real and authentic experience through the involvement of activities that comprises of food and wine.  These activities may include; 1) to partake in the study and fulfilment of tasting food and wine, 2) to learn the art of preparing and cooking local recipes, 3) to join tours of local wineries and food producers, and finally 4) to purchase produce direct from its’ locally grown source (Novelli 2005).

Each of the above listed activities of gastronomic tourism can be classified as primary motivators or ‘hallmark attractions’ (Novelli 2005, p. 74) for a tourist, who seeks a small-scale holiday that involves eating and drinking as their main motivational factor for travelling.  Hall and Mitchell (cited in Novelli 2005) support this idea and discuss the importance of food and wine as a primary motivator for tourists’ in the way that it entices tourists to travel to specific regional areas in order to visit wineries, food producers, restaurants and finally, food and wine festivals.  Whereas, Cohen and Avieli (2004), challenge the idea of food as an attraction by highlighting that, eating and drinking in unfamiliar surroundings may initially be identified as an attraction, however when analysed more closely, the experience becomes more of an impediment, than an attraction.  However, I believe that eating and drinking in an unfamiliar country or region adds to the excitement of travel and is therefore an integral part of the visitors’ experience.  Furthermore, I tend to agree entirely with Read (cited in Wilson 2012) suggestion that when a tourist embarks upon a form of special interest tourism, such as gastronomic tourism, the experience should be ‘REAL travel, (that is Rewarding, Enriching, Adventuresome and a Learning Experience)’, (Wilson 2012).