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

2002). As Jones and Jenkins (2002) advocate, “Food is now used as a means of
developing new niche markets, supporting regional identities, developing quality
tourism and sustainable tourism” (p. 115). They go on to note that:
The evidence currently available suggests that food tourism is
becoming an important means of providing new tourism products that
‘sell’ the ‘distinct character’ and ‘culture’ of a destination. Food
tourism is also a potential antidote to stagnating mass tourism demand
and a means of supporting and promoting sustainable tourism ... All of
these factors have tended to strengthen arguments for the development
of food tourism (p. 116).
While there are apparent benefits that can be gained by linking food and tourism, it is
equally important to be aware of possible negative consequences that such a relationship
could foster. Fields (2002) points out that although many tourist destinations attempt to
meet tourists’ demand for authentic and traditional food, the majority of tourist resorts
end up presenting an “emergent authenticity” as a result of altering local dishes to suit
tourists’ tastes (p. 39).
In view of the substantial benefits that food-related tourism activities are capable of
generating, it is imperative that such initiatives are effectively promoted to ensure a
competitive advantage in the international market (Boyne & Hall, 2003). Effective
marketing is necessary if the demand for food and food-related activities is to be
increased, with similar increases on production and consumption (Pearce, 2002).
Therefore, effective marketing is the key to positively influencing tourists’ buying
behaviour towards local food (Okumus, et al., 2007; Boyne, William, & Hall, 2002).
Tourists gather information about potential destinations and prepare and plan their trip
prior to travel (Money & Crotts, 2003). Similarly, tourists also plan their meals in
advance (Warde & Martens, 2000). Hence, preconceived ideas can greatly influence the
level of tourist satisfaction. Fields (2002) stated that since tourists’ knowledge of
culinary activities are likely to be less before consumption, food marketing in tourism
should focus on developing “the pre-consumption knowledge” of tourists (p. 43).
Creating unique cultural images and attractive culinary products can stimulate tourists’
anticipation and lead to increased demand.
Fields (2000) argues that the media is very influential on potential tourists; in particular,
it can get the attention of those who do not usually view culinary experiences as key
motivators for travel. Tourist destinations will gain the advantage of promoting their
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