Gastronomy as a Tourism Product

Question: Describe about the Report for Gastronomy as a Tourism Product. Answer: Introduction Tourism has become a prerequisite for life, and with the increase in the daily stress level, across the globe, people desire for a getaway. Although the idea related to tourism originates from the hectic schedule most of us lead, however, these visits leave us enlightened in so many different ways and through so many different aspects of tourism. Australian tourism industry has witnessed a rise from 2.7 million in 92 to 6.7 million in 14 (www.tourism.vic.gov.au 2016). Gastronomy based tourism is turning into a new rave where, tourists are visiting destinations statistically, a tourist spends one third of his budget in gastronomical indulgence (Kivela and Crotts 2006). The report relates the way gastronomy is related to tourism and the idea is realized by detailing the visit to two sites which has contributed to the understanding if gastronomy. Two of the sites that were visited include the Queen Victoria Market and the Food Truck Park. These two sites are visited in hordes both by the locals and by the tourists. The Queen Vic boasts about the best of fresh farm produce, which includes a large variety of fruits and vegetables along with dairy and meat, based products. Food trucks add to the delights of the tourists by serving fast food with a twist of their own. Theory Tourism flourishes based on the geographical and demographical details of a place, the cultural heritage associated of the place but more importantly, accommodation facilities, lastly, the top priority mostly goes to the purpose (Sormaz et al. 2016). The thought that whether gastronomy is the sole purpose of travel or it applies as a complimentary element, is quite debatable. However, gastronomy is a non-compromising aspect of tourism (Zaman and Kayserili 2015). The assortment and individuality of products of a place related to food, plays the most important role drawing the tourists. A sudden surge in the demand of local food products, specific of the exotic spices, culinary techniques, has helped in promoting gastronomical tourism. This type of tourism is bound to succeed since a tourist is certain to have at least 3-4 meals a day (Georghe, Tudorache and Nistoreanu 2014). This fact changes the face of everything and aids in promoting tourism. Gastronomy has ascertained itself as a product of tourism, which is highly sustainable. Several destinations dedicate their revival of tourism only to the gastronomy. Gastronomic tourism, agri-tourism, culinary tourism, gastro-tourism, wine tourism and food tourism are the different facets of the same thing. Gastronomic tourism can be defined as travelling for the sake of experiencing the gastronomical resources of the destinations which is likely to include visiting food festivals, food fairs, food tastings, cooking exhibitions etc. (Snchez-Caizares and Lpez-Guzmn 2012) This approach helps the people to get more acquainted with the culture and heritage of the place much better than the mere sightseeing. This attitude in return helps in the restoration and maintaining of the culture and heritage of that place, for the sake of promoting tourism. The way a recipe is created, the ingredients, the condiments, the way it is presented and eaten, everything reflects the lifestyle and culture of the people of that particular destination. The traditions and cultures also get reflected in their food habits and preparations. The authenticity imparted through the food by a destination is a great motivator for the tourists to participate in gastronomical tourism. Along with it, the diversity of a pla ce, based on the society having a multicultural appearance, is an added advantage for a food lover. Each culture influences the way the cuisines are prepared. Although agri-tourism or agricultural tourism is limited with the locals but it is slowly setting the stage for the international tourists to participate in it. In this type of tourism, people visit a destination known to be famous for its agricultural produce (Jimnez Beltrn, Lpez-Guzmn and Santa-Cruz 2016. The tourists visit the fields and participate in the farming. It not only helps in promoting the popularity of the produce but also helps in promoting tourism of that place. Examples of such area are coffee plantations in Colombia, vineyards in France, even paddy fields in several Chinese provinces (Richards 2014). These areas host the tourists at the farms where they whip up local delicacies. They are a great attraction for the families where the children engage in playing with and feeding the farm animals. Culinary tourism on the other hand is based on the preparation techniques applied to prepare dishes which is native to that place. The term was first fabricated by Long (2004), in the year 1998. During a culinary tourism, people get to engage in cooking classes organized by the locals, for example cheese making classes, wine brewing events, sushi making classes, canning fruits and vegetables etc. (Frost and Laing 2016). Many of the tourists enthusiastically participate in these classes, looking forward to gain something from these experiences. This adds a hedonic profile to the tourist that the tourism is mostly inclined towards an experience and less towards indulgence. The passion towards experimenting with new flavors, smell and texture of various food recipes, is the top priority for tourists indulging in culinary tourism. Tourism flourishes based on the geographical and demographical details of a place, the cultural heritage associated of the place but more importantly, accommodation facilities, lastly, the top priority mostly goes to the purpose. The thought that whether gastronomy is the sole purpose of travel or it applies as a complimentary element, is quite debatable. However, gastronomy is a non-compromising aspect of tourism (O'Halloran 2015). The assortment and individuality of products of a place related to food, plays the most important role drawing the tourists. A sudden surge in the demand of local food products, specific of the exotic spices, culinary techniques, has helped in promoting gastronomical tourism. This type of tourism is bound to succeed since a tourist is certain to have at least 3-4 meals a day (Georghe, Tudorache and Nistoreanu 2014). This fact changes the face of everything and aids in promoting tourism. Not only from the gastronomical approach, but also from several other aspects such as the transport, lodging, etc. If people throng these places, even if it is just for the sake of food, they would require for a place to stay as well as a means of transport to travel around. It resembles to a structure of overall development in the economy of that particular destination. If the international tourists visit in masses, it will prompt domestic tourism too. The previous experience on the part of the tourist also plays an important role in promoting gastronomic tourism. If a tourist had a good experience with a place in regard to the It gastronomic delights, will prompt him to pay a second visit to the same place for its sake (Brokaj 2014). It is similar to visiting the Napa valley to taste the wines, or returning to Italy to try every possible delicacies of pasta they whip up or visiting Belgium in fact for the sake of the shokolade. People would love to go back to these places repeatedly, drawn only by the memory of the taste, flavor, smell and even texture. Tourism contributes greatly to the economy of Australia. States like New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria is highly dependent on tourism for their gross economy (www.tra.gov.au 2016). The Victorian state of Melbourne serves as the popular destination spot for the tourists. Gastronomy has proved to be a tourism promoting aspect for some time now (www.pc.gov.au 2016). Masses across the globe are visiting destinations to experiment with different flavors, culinary skills and exotic food, which they usually do not find in their native places. The popularity has gained a new tempo due to the emerging trend of promoting local culinary on television shows. Channels such as Travel and Living dedicate its shows in showcasing the different cultures and their style of fooding and living. There are shows such as Master Chef Australia, Top Chef, where the viewers get a taste of fine dining. This basically proves to be an encouragement to actually visit place and get a hands-on experience of t he culture and heritage of that place, infused in its food. Be it the locals or the tourists, it is hard to resist the temptation of not being delighted by a large array of fresh produce displayed in beautiful colors. Queen Victoria Market is the largest open market of the Southern Hemisphere (www.qvm.com.au 2016). It spans over several blocks. The market is a considered as a historic landmark. It was founded in the year 1878 and evidently, has come a long way since then (Jimnez Beltrn, Lpez-Guzmn, and Santa-Cruz 2016). Queen Vic is famous among both the tourists and the locals, for not only the fresh farm produce deals but also several other stuff such as clothing, crafts, shoes, jewellery etc. The attitude of people towards the consumption of food, that promotes health and has been grown without any agricultural practice, which comprises of usage of harmful chemicals (Lee, Packer and Scott 2015). There are several events, which are organized at the market for the visitors and it is popular, both, among the young and old. Queen Vic also feat ures a long line of food stalls in the food court, each one bragging to tickle the palette of the bon vivant. The display of exotic fruits and vegetables however, serves as the main attraction for the tourists. Tourists get to treat themselves to all these delights offered at the food stalls as well as the fresh farm produces available at the market. The reasonable price of the produce, considering a healthier option, Victoria boasts of having a Food Truck Park, at High Street in Preston, is thronged by many locals, as well as tourists who visit the country in scores every year. The Australian Mobile Food Vendors Group is responsible for managing the Food Truck Park (www.thefoodtruckpark.com.au 2016). The Group arranges the event in a way that it follows a rotational pattern where, several names (food trucks), get an opportunity to present their delicacies to the locales and the tourists alike. These food trucks are believed to be a learning ground for budding chefs (www.amfvg.com.au 2016). Tourists warm up to the idea of getting to witness a single place with so many options to please their gastronomical buds. The most prominent ones in the Food truck initiative are the DeadBeetz, Pig BBQ Point, Yummy Truck, The Love Perogy etc. (Beltrn, Cruz and Lpez-Guzmn 2016). The park also organizes entertainment events involving bands performing live for the visitors. Food trucks have gained a lot of popula rity over the years and it is solely dedicated to the idea of food on wheels concept. It is like a concise way of presenting quality food, enriched in flavors, beautiful texture, culture, lifestyle, and authenticity, everything served in a little pocket. This proves to be a hugely enticing idea for a tourist who is a gourmet at heart. Conclusion For some people it is not just a matter of visiting a country or a destination, it is always more than that. To visit a destination is to absorb the culture and heritage of that place and live it even if it is for a short period. Tourism need not be just travelling from one destination to the other, pleasing the senses in every possible way makes it a complete success. A gastronomical experience fulfills our sense of taste, smell and sight. Although only the report is based on the visits at the farmers market and the food truck, several other sites are also involved with gastronomical tourism. For example, visit to a food street where the street is lined with fine dining areas, or seaside shacks in order to get a local flavor, or even visit food festivals that are organized around 365 days. The use of various media tools, such as travel guides, blogs, pictures posted on social networking sites, aids in popularizing the food products. It furthers the act of promoting tourism of a plac e digitally. Arranging for food festivals, food tasting, wine tasting events can encourage the promotion of the tourism industry of a place. Therefore, justifiably, gastronomy is a tourism product which helps retaining the sustainability of tourism as it helps in promoting the economic and social development of a destination. References Beltrn, F.J.J., Cruz, F.G.S. and Lpez-Guzmn, T., 2016. 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