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

vegetarian pizza outlets are run by Pizza Hut for strict Hindus who do not eat meat and
a ‘Jain Pizza’ for orthodox members of Jain religious sect whose diet excludes roots and
bulbs such as onions and potatoes. Hence, Hall and Mitchell argue that:
… homogenization and diversity act as two countervailing forces in
the food and globalisation debate ... it is impossible to have
globalisation without simultaneously having localization. One cannot
exist without the other.... it indicates how places can in fact use
globalisation positively to improve their economic condition and
sustain their ways of life, food production and eating. … it is here that
travel and tourism is regarded as playing a major role in reinforcing
local identity and production. (p. 72).
According to Scarpato and Daniele (2003), the new global cuisine is the combination of
‘fresh’ ingredients coming from all corners of the world, freely combined by creative
global celebrity chefs to become the “local cuisine of the global village” (p. 306). The
new global cuisine allows consumers instant transportation to become a tourist
(Bauman, 1997), through vast multi-culinary, multi-ethnic yet affordable buffets
(Scarpato & Daniele, 2003).
Roden (2000) notes that the new global cuisine has lost some of its allure as the
freedom that it provided chefs stripped traditional foods of their identity and origin. As
a result, no one is interested in “the same, usually bad, ‘international’ cuisine” (Roden,
2000, p.13). Instead, tourists seek local foods when they travel, neither “Californian-
Italian dishes in Egypt nor French food in Japan” (ibid). Therefore, at a time when
globalisation has weakened culture and tradition by homogenisation and
standardisation, “what appeals and fascinates and touches the heart is that which
distinguishes a country, which recalls her past and which is a part of her heritage and
traditions” (ibid). Hall and Mitchell (2002b) also support that region, religion, traditions
and tastes will always determine the boundaries of globalisation of food. They state that
“globalisation is impossible without localization”, that promoting the differentiating
local assets can achieve success by the competitive advantage that they offer (p. 82).
Local food, as part of the tourism experience, involves a number of benefits that reflect
the principles of sustainable development. The backward linkages of food production
enhance and strengthen the economic and social vitality of rural regions, while
involving local food in tourism enriches the visitor experience and could strengthen the
likelihood of repeat visits (Boyne & Hall, 2003). The labour intensive nature of food
services generates jobs, involves local communities, and assists in the development of
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