The Synergy of Food and Tourism: A New Recipe for Regional Tourism Development

• Main Author: Bipithalal Balakrishnan Nair
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AfricaJournals 2021-03-01
• Series: African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure
• Subjects: durban tourism; cuisine; maize tourism; agro tourism; regional development
• Online Access: https://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_14_10_1_214-221.pdf

Food has become an emerging subject in tourism and leisure activities, with versatile applicability as part of the community culture and visitor’s experience. The commercialisation of possessions conveys sustainable growth, identification, geographical and multicultural characteristics of products and services. Food infuses the travel experience, and particular roles of food in tourism might become more important in certain circumstances. The tastes that travellers acquire through food tourism bridge a place’s culture and tradition since it provides insight into diverse communities through the lenses of tasting, food processing and eating. As a social process connecting cultures through people, tourism gains considerable advantages through food tourism. Many developing countries in Asia and Africa have enormous potential for food tourism. This conceptual paper evaluates the Durban area's food tourism potential and thus proposes four strategies to promote regional development. These strategies are developed by linking the food with other visitor attractions as a means of economic diversification.