Gastronomic tourism in Malta : in what manner does food develop a tourist experience?

Abstract

Gastronomy tourism is a rapidly evolving niche market that engages travellers into the culture and heritage of a destination, developing the overall tourism experience into a completely unique way. Local produce is a vital component in gastronomy tourism that connects with the culture and community of the destination, while delivering an authentic and thrilling experience for the traveller. This research will provide a greater understanding on the current situation of local food supply chains and what is leading local head-chefs and general managers to choose between local and imported produce. The findings of this research earmark the importance of local food in gastronomy tourism and how the limitations that head-chefs and general managers encounter are driving them to construct their menus with more imported than local. Although the Maltese islands are small scaled, the food supply chain is remarkably disrupted by the inflation of imported produce that is leading farmers and fishermen to put a bigger price on their produce and transforming their profession into a hobby. The modern society is increasingly becoming more health conscious, therefore the demand of organic produce is slowly expanding. Unfortunately, the production of organic produce on the Maltese islands is very limited due to various obstacles that narrows its production. This study also extensively evaluates the motivational factors that are associated with the production and presentation of local sustainable and organic produce.