ABSTRACT
The interlinkages between tourism and food are many and deep. In satisfying physiological needs, food is a ‘non-optional’ component of the tourism experience (Reynolds 1994: 191) and for many tourists, food and eating are important social and experiential elements of their holiday. In rural areas tourism and food production often compete for land, labour and capital, while in many cases, management of the natural and built environments for agriculture and food production provides landscapes and settings for tourists to enjoy, or ‘consume’. Research has shown that food and drink can account for up to 40 per cent of tourists’ holiday spending (Belisle 1983; Hudman 1986; Waterhouse et al. 1995), and as much as 50 per cent of the additional expenditure incurred by hosts entertaining VFR (visiting friends and relatives) tourists in rural Scotland (Boyne 2001). The potential therefore exists for rural tourism destination areas to maximize benefits to the local economy by providing locally produced foodstuffs for purchase and consumption by tourists. Encouraging back-linkages in this way can not only enhance the benefits of tourism to rural destination areas, but also help sustain traditional artisan and industrial-scale food production and processing techniques. Viewed from a tourism perspective, the opportunity to sample highquality locally produced food products can enhance the visitor experience, raise awareness of a destination region or country and encourage first-time and return visits.
