Food Tourism in India Essay Example

2009. Each state has its own regional identity, including language, customs, and diet. Although Indian food is often associated with curries, naan breads, and rice, there is a wide variety of culinary food specialties throughout the country that vary region to region. For example, northern Indians eat bread and Dahl in their daily diet while southern Indians consume rice, papads, and curries. Indian cuisine has been influenced by over 5,000 years of continuous culture, and each region has developed its own unique dishes. One such region is Kraal, located on the southern Malabar Coast. With an area of 15,005 square miles and a population of 33 million people in 2011, it showcases its own food sources and dishes.Kraal has a rich settlement history dating back to around 5,000 BCE. Since 3,000 BCE, the region has been renowned for its spice exports, dominated by the Portuguese, Dutch, and English who each brought their own food traditions. Rice is a major staple in Kraal, boasting over 600 varieties and playing a vital role in local diets. The project aims to explore what makes Kraal unique, examining the religious and cultural influences shaping the region's identity and analyzing how the history of settlement by various people contributes to present-day Kraal. Moreover, food tourism is essential for the region's economy, with over 8.5 million tourists visiting Kraal in 2006. As food is an integral part of tourism, the project intends to investigate the other common dishes besides rice that are unique to Kraal and distinguish them from other Indian regions.This text explores the use and advertising of food within the tourism industry, both nationally and internationally, and how it

contributes to business in the region. A key work on the topic is Sally Everett and Car Atchison's research on The Role of Food Tourism in Sustaining Regional Identity: A Case Study of Cornwall, South West England, which was published in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism in 2008. Their study focused on interviews with 12 restaurateurs in popular tourist locations and found that locally produced food, such as the Cornish pasty, is closely linked with regional identity. This research provides a useful template for the author's own dissertation, which aims to add to the limited existing research on food tourism and its role in sustaining Kraal's identity.In this piece, there is a focus on rural areas in England, with some work cited that may be more relevant. One of the referenced works is Jeannine Bossier's 1998 publication titled "Local Development and Heritage: Traditional Food and Cuisine as Tourist Attractions in Rural Areas," found in the Sociological Rural. Bossier's work delves into the transformation and redefinition of local identity, specifically how food and gastronomy are utilized in tourist development. Although the rural areas of France are primarily discussed, it serves as a useful geographical comparison to Everett and Atchison's work, which is applicable to the majority of Kraal's rural setting. Bossier aims to uncover if there is a demand for French rural areas in terms of tourism and gastronomy, and how local identity can be enhanced, validated and identified within them. Besieger's findings suggest that cultural culinary heritage is crucial to France's rural tourist market.The article discusses various ways of promoting local food and culture to tourists, such as selling farm fresh products in tourist markets,

offering home cooked local meals in Farmstead inns, serving meals made of local products in Family Inns and organizing local food events. Traditional rural meals are also served in traditional restaurants, using locally sourced ingredients. Although the article has limitations when applied to a study of Kraal in India, it provides insights into interesting practices that may also be relevant in India. Rebecca Sims similarly explores the relationship between local food and sustainable tourism in her work Food, place and authenticity: Local Food and the Sustainable Tourism Experience. She uses qualitative interviews with food producers and tourists in two different regions of England, the Lake District and Oxymora, to demonstrate how food can help symbolize a certain place and its culture.The author acknowledges the presence of distinct food items associated with each region in her study, including the Cornish pasty mentioned in Everett and Atchison's article. Sims contends that the use of local food and drink products can promote economic and environmental sustainability in both tourism and rural host communities by encouraging sustainable agricultural practices, supporting local business, and creating a brand that attracts more visitors and investment. Consequently, Sims' article proves beneficial in the discussion of food tourism and its potential advantages for both regions. Additionally, Everett and Atchison refer to Erik Cohen and Nor Evil's work titled Food in Tourism: Attraction and Impediment, which examines the challenges tourists may face when it comes to unfamiliar cuisines and how local restaurants in their home countries offering ethnic dishes may play a role in these issues.The authors, Everett and Atchison, highlight the lack of research on the role of food in tourism and aim to

explore how local food can serve as both a positive and negative aspect of tourist experiences. They also provide insights on how restaurants in tourist destinations can overcome any negative perceptions. The article provides examples from other countries which add depth to the discussion. Of particular interest is the section on Ethnic Restaurants at Home and Local Eating Places Abroad, which highlights how perceptions of cuisine can differ based on location. The article also references Jackass Skived's piece, Tourism and Gastronomy: Gastronomy's Influence on How Tourists Experience a Destination, which emphasizes gastronomy's contribution towards tourists' experience within a destination rather than focusing on a specific location or area.

The study conducted in Hong Kong could be replicated in other tourist destinations. In contrast to previous research by Everett and Atchison, Skived gathered quantitative data from 1,200 tourists interviewed over 2 months about their dining experiences in Hong Kong. The data revealed that 21% of the tourists visited Hong Kong specifically for its food. Skived's approach to presenting the findings was noteworthy, offering insights on effective ways to present data. Kraal's article on entrepreneurship and sustainable tourism titled "The Houseboats of Kraal" complements Skived's research and is also relevant to my dissertation. Both articles were published in Tourism and Hospitality Research.

Kirkland and Morrison's article discusses the economic and social benefits of self-employed and small scale enterprises, such as the Houseboats of Kraal, in tourism destinations. They interviewed tour operators and examined other works on tourism in Kraal, providing useful links for further research. The article focuses on the development of the Houseboats over the past twenty years and their contribution to tourism in Kraal. It should

be used in conjunction with other works on the Keratin Tourism Industry. Sally Everett's article, Beyond the Visual Gaze?, explores food tourism in another region of the UK through initiatives and visual perception.Although this article does not relate to food tourism and sustaining regional identity in Kraal, it presents another case study on food tourism in Scotland. Based on the literature review, there are numerous research opportunities within food tourism. Thus, this dissertation will use a case study approach to explore the connection between regional identity and food in Kraal, India. According to Haggler and Richards (2002), case studies provide an effective research strategy that links theory with practice and identifies relevant issues and driving forces for tourism or gastronomy development in a specific location. Despite its small scale, the findings of this exploratory study can be generalized to other regions within India and worldwide. Additionally, it may uncover new avenues that require further examination. Kraal is the ideal case study area for analyzing the connection between regional identity and food, given its rich heritage and unique identity compared to the rest of the Indian subcontinent.

Kraal is a state in India that boasts a 100% literacy rate and has an unemployment rate of only 9.4%. Tourists contribute almost 14% of the state's economy, with many employed in the service sector across the 500 hotels, restaurants, and houseboats in the region. The Kraal government is proud of their state and heritage, and aims to increase the tourism market by promoting unique products such as backwater tourism and Arrived. By doing so, they hope Kraal will be recognized as an innovative force within the Indian

tourism industry and gain international recognition. The Keratin houseboats are a prime example of Kraal's uniqueness, with around 1,000 floating options ranging from basic to luxury. Another example is Arrived, a traditional medicine system that the government is keen to promote among tourists for rejuvenation purposes.

Accommodation options in the region range from luxurious hotels to homestays showcasing local architecture, culture, traditions, various art forms, and cuisine. With a focus on increasing tourism, the Keratin government supports small to medium enterprises offering diverse experiences. As food is crucial to sustaining regional identity, a flexible quantitative approach will be used to gather information on food tourism. Data will be gathered by questioning selected independent restaurants in hotels and houseboats. This data will be compared and cross-validated with secondary quantitative surveys. Collectively, this will capture rich data on Kraal's identity, heritage, personal experiences, and the role of food. However, case studies may reflect the researcher's bias in data collection and analysis (Button, 2005, p.).During the analysis, it is important to use secondary data to validate interview findings. The case study, known for being "extremely long," requires careful selection of interviewees to obtain clear information while addressing questions in a thorough manner within the limitation of time. The dissertation will consist of an introduction with background, rationale, research aims, objectives, questions, and hypotheses. Chapter two will discuss current debates on food tourism and sustainability, including an overview of the literature along with region-specific analysis of how the region identifies itself and employs sustainability in tourism. In chapter three, research design and methodology will be addressed, including 12 restaurant selections and the list of interview questions.

In Chapter 4,

the research findings will be presented, including statistical graphs and analyzed data. Patterns will be identified and discussed. Secondary data will also be used to validate the interview data. Chapter 5 will conclude the study, highlighting both successes and failures of the case study and suggesting future areas for research. A thorough bibliography will also be included. Please refer to the Gaunt chart for the timetable.