Abstract

This book presents a systematic and pattern-based explanation of food tourism, focusing on how and why change could occur and what the implications could be. In the future will food tourism involve food grown in the laboratory or a more authentic experience associated with place and history? The book’s approach to the future has focused on explanation; the contributors look for the causes, trends and theoretical concepts that explain change, thus attempting to justify and explore the future. Scenarios are used to explore alternative futures and the book examines the implications for the future of food tourism and highlights future research avenues. This book is primarily aimed at postgraduate students and researchers in the field of tourism studies.

This book takes us on a journey from the past to the future of food tourism, an area of study that has only received attention from academic researchers recently. The various chapters take us through an eclectic range of topics. More than a melting pot of knowledge, it is a gumbo that mixes several ingredients but that allows us to taste, differentiate, and appreciate each of them.

For most, contemplating the future of food is what we plan to have for dinner tonight - and the future of tourism our next travel destination options. Intertwining these two futures contemplations, yet with a more distant horizon, this book is elegant, challenging, humorous, and scary at times, but an accessible compilation showcasing the intellectual expertise of some leading thinkers in the food and tourism space.

Ian Yeoman is Associate Professor and futurist at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand and the European Tourism Futures Institute, Netherlands. His research interests include tourism futures, scenario planning and revenue management.

Una McMahon-Beattie is Professor and Head of Department for Hospitality and Tourism Management at Ulster University, UK. Her research interests include tourism and event marketing, revenue management and tourism futures.

Kevin Fields worked in the hospitality industry before entering academia 23 years ago. He taught at three universities across hospitality, events and tourism courses – with specific interests in business tourism and food-related tourism.

Julia N. Albrecht is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago, New Zealand. Her academic interests include tourism strategy and planning, visitor management and tourism in wine destinations. 

Kevin Meethan is Associate Professor at Plymouth University, UK. He has broad and interdisciplinary research interests including cultural change and global-local relations in tourism.

The editors have excelled in blending an eclectic range of essays on the increasingly essential theme of Food Tourism. Recognising the visitor’s basic need to acquire sustenance, the book examines the contemporary and potential of food as a differentiator of destination and visitor expectation. This publication works both as a good backgrounder on the topic of food tourism while provoking thought and debate on the future direction of the subject.

What this book does offer in spades is an opening dialogue on these issues and some very thoughtful, creative and intuitive insights into the topic. I recommend this book and look forward to future research it may inspire.