The Role of Local Food in Maldives Tourism - Scholarly Commons ...

CHAPTER SEVEN:
CONCLUSIONS
In an increasingly competitive tourism industry where globalisation has played a major
role in creating homogenization and standardization of products, services and culture
(Dehesa, 2006), destinations are faced with the challenge of developing tourist
experiences that provide a unique and authentic ‘sense of place’ (Milne & Ateljevic,
2001; Wahab & Cooper, 2001). At the same time there is a clear need to link the
tourism industry more effectively to local economies and to sustain the natural and
cultural resources that enable host communities to sustain their livelihoods and quality
of life (Gossling & Hall, 2006; Holden, 2008; Scarpato & Daniele, 2002).
This thesis has argued that locally produced food can play an important role in meeting
these challenges. The literature related to food and tourism reveals numerous reciprocal
benefits that can be obtained by linking these industries (Boyne et al., 2003; Richards,
2002; Santich, 2007). Local food embodies cultures and traditions of destinations and
plays an important role in promoting and conserving cultural heritage (Fields, 2002).
Local occupations are also encouraged through local food production, and backward
linkages are created that stimulate other economic sectors, enhance tourism multipliers,
benefit local communities and assist in equal distribution of tourism benefits (Boyne et
al. 2002). Indeed, food and agriculture linkages often lie at the heart of pro-poor tourism
initiatives (Goodwin, 2009). When local food production is encouraged food imports
can be reduced, which also has an important impact of trade balances.
Aside from these benefits, the involvement of local food experiences in tourist products
provides an enriching tourist experience (Poulain, 2000, in Frochot 2003). Research has
shown that tourists place a very high value on culinary experiences (Selwood, 2003),
and that food is often viewed as a significant motivation for travel. At the same time
food represents a substantial percentage of average total tourist expenditure (Jones &
Jenkins, 2002; du Rand & Heath, 2006). Thus local food provides an excellent
opportunity for destinations to both increase economic yield per visitor and to also
enhance the attractiveness of the tourism product (Hjalager & Richards, 2002).
Unfortunately the benefits of linking local food to tourism are often not recognized by
tourism destinations and the businesses that comprise them, and effective linkages
between tourism and local food are not established (Okumus. et al., 2007). This research
157