Abstract

This is the first book to explore the relationship between tourism and spices. It examines the various layers of connection between spices and tourism in terms of destinations, attractions and cuisines. The book reveals how spice-producing destinations are employing spices in destination branding and encouraging spice farms to move towards tourism, while destinations not producing spices are employing spices and herbs in distinctive local cuisines. Both tangible and intangible spice heritages are highlighted as tools for developing destinations, creating attractions, inventing new forms of livelihoods and distinguishing local, regional and national cuisines. This volume will be useful for researchers and students in cultural tourism, culinary tourism, anthropology of food and food history.

Through the pages of this volume the reader journeys through the myriad of medicinal and gastronomic uses of spices, becoming acquainted with countries near and far where spices are grown, consumed and experienced. At the end of it all, the reader is left wanting to not only experiment with spices in the kitchen, but to visit some of the exotic destinations where spices are grown like the spice island of the Caribbean, Grenada.

This book presents case studies on the roles spices play in tourism development. It is well-written and easily understandable, which makes it an enjoyable reading for students, practitioners, and academics. 

Lee Jolliffe has successfully assembled an erudite, global collection of essays that advance contemporary thinking about the crossover between vernacular heritage and tourism. This welcome assemblage is brimming with conceptual and empirical jewels that will inspire readers to consider the deeper implications of the 'ordinary' – herbs and spices, agriculture, cuisines, foodways, and intangible patrimony (e.g. fragrances, tastes, and traditions) – as a decisive element of the world's cultural heritage.

Lee Jolliffe is a Professor of Hospitality and Tourism, University of New Brunswick, Canada. With a museum studies and tourism background, her research interests include studying how culinary heritage and tourism intersect. Recent publications include the edited volume Sugar Heritage and Tourism in Transition (Channel View Publications, 2013) and the co-authored volume (Hilary du Cros and Lee Jolliffe) The Arts and Events (Routledge, 2014).

This is a fascinating journey through the spice destinations of the world, demonstrating the role of spices in tourism development and diversification, the projection of attractive destination images and in supporting identities. This will be a valuable resource for all scholars of tourism and gastronomy, helping to broaden our understanding of foodways and their role in culture and tourism.

Spices and Tourism is a thoroughly delicious book representing the impacts of spices on tourism choices, development and identity. Complementing the depth of the text in the chapters is the use of photographs to develop the imagery of the ideas. This book should be of interest to students, academics, tourists and gastronomers alike... Spices and Tourism is successful in uncovering a diversity of perspectives of the emerging spice tourism market and is likely to leave the reader hungry for more.