Local food and tourism in the Global South

Many countries in the Global South import a significant share of the food served to tourists. For decades, closer linkages of local food producer and the resort industry have been heralded as an antidote to this unsustainable circumstance, further encouraged by the current consumer trend around loca...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Gabriel CM Laeis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2019-09-01
Series:Research in Hospitality Management
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/22243534.2019.1653592
_version_ 1797641000920809472
author Gabriel CM Laeis
author_facet Gabriel CM Laeis
author_sort Gabriel CM Laeis
collection DOAJ
description Many countries in the Global South import a significant share of the food served to tourists. For decades, closer linkages of local food producer and the resort industry have been heralded as an antidote to this unsustainable circumstance, further encouraged by the current consumer trend around local food. Reflections on two qualitative research projects in resorts in South Africa and Fiji challenge the notion that tourists move out of their comfort zone to eat local dishes to any greater extent. Large-scale, internationally branded and managed resorts serve predominantly what their tourists from the Global North like to eat: a Western cuisine. If farmers want to benefit from this resort industry, they have to grow food according to the Western palate, which in turn has questionable impacts on biodiversity levels and environmental health in general. The discussion around localising tourism-related food chains in countries of the Global South needs to acknowledge for whose agenda food is being produced. “Corporate resorts” endorse neither a very sustainable nor a locally adaptable culinary agenda.
first_indexed 2024-03-11T13:39:17Z
format Article
id doaj.art-53c1161181474e4aa76772bdbde9a857
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2224-3534
2415-5152
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-11T13:39:17Z
publishDate 2019-09-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series Research in Hospitality Management
spelling doaj.art-53c1161181474e4aa76772bdbde9a8572023-11-02T13:54:03ZengTaylor & Francis GroupResearch in Hospitality Management2224-35342415-51522019-09-0191131610.1080/22243534.2019.16535921653592Local food and tourism in the Global SouthGabriel CM Laeis0IUBH International UniversityMany countries in the Global South import a significant share of the food served to tourists. For decades, closer linkages of local food producer and the resort industry have been heralded as an antidote to this unsustainable circumstance, further encouraged by the current consumer trend around local food. Reflections on two qualitative research projects in resorts in South Africa and Fiji challenge the notion that tourists move out of their comfort zone to eat local dishes to any greater extent. Large-scale, internationally branded and managed resorts serve predominantly what their tourists from the Global North like to eat: a Western cuisine. If farmers want to benefit from this resort industry, they have to grow food according to the Western palate, which in turn has questionable impacts on biodiversity levels and environmental health in general. The discussion around localising tourism-related food chains in countries of the Global South needs to acknowledge for whose agenda food is being produced. “Corporate resorts” endorse neither a very sustainable nor a locally adaptable culinary agenda.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/22243534.2019.1653592agriculture–tourism linkagescuisinefijiglobal southlocal foodsouth africasustainable tourism
spellingShingle Gabriel CM Laeis
Local food and tourism in the Global South
Research in Hospitality Management
agriculture–tourism linkages
cuisine
fiji
global south
local food
south africa
sustainable tourism
title Local food and tourism in the Global South
title_full Local food and tourism in the Global South
title_fullStr Local food and tourism in the Global South
title_full_unstemmed Local food and tourism in the Global South
title_short Local food and tourism in the Global South
title_sort local food and tourism in the global south
topic agriculture–tourism linkages
cuisine
fiji
global south
local food
south africa
sustainable tourism
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/22243534.2019.1653592
work_keys_str_mv AT gabrielcmlaeis localfoodandtourismintheglobalsouth