新作坊

Developing Culinary Tourism: The Role of Food as a Cultural Heritage in Kenya

摘要：

Africa’s social life centers on food-good wholesome food. The sound of festive drums is all we need to bring out our cooking pots and pans and produce an array of exotic dishes, which Afro-Americans describe as ‘soul food’. One key component of the relationship between food and tourism is that of the promotion of traditional foods. In Kenya, tourists mainly come for the wildlife safari and beach tourism attractions which on their own may not be viable options in the long run. Therefore, the tourism industry need to diversify their products and include more cultural tourism based components of which food and drink is a key contender. In Kenya, the promotion of food as a component of its destination attractiveness is in its infancy at both the international and domestic level. The context of this contribution is to underpin such developments using the rationale that in order to maintain and enhance local economic and social vitality, creating back linkages between tourism and food production sectors can add value to an area’s economy. This paper using a case study approach and researcher experience will attempt to address the strengths and opportunities of food promotion in Kenya though special references will be made to other countries in Africa. Further, the paper will look at cultural heritage features that are unique to Kenya and how these can be used to promote cultural awareness beyond the famous Big Five phenomena. The role of local communities in promoting culinary tourism as part of cultural heritage development will also be analyzed.