Culinary Tourism

This study is about New Brunswick Province culinary tourism product. The festival is aimed at highlighting different food products generated from wild blueberries. Culinary tourism can be described as a form of tourism that is inspired by beverages and foods. Additionally, it goes by many names including food tourism, tasting tourism and gastronomic tourism (Murray, 2004).

The International Culinary Tourism Association defines culinary tourism as the quest of memorable and distinctive eatable and drinking experiences. It also indicates that there are groups of tourists who will spend most of their many to travel across different parts of the globe to experience and sample original cuisines that have been identified as having cultural importance in different parts of the world.

Food is known to have a great effect on holiday makers. This means that culinary tourism has been one of the most significant sectors in the industry across the globe. Many travelers have considered food when choosing tourism destinations. This can be affirmed by the fact that many individuals have found food to be quite significant in the activities they engage in, in their course of their holidays as well as vacations (Murray, 2004).

Despite the fact that food has been very crucial in holiday maker’s decision making processes, it has received minimal attention in local and global perspective. Research also indicates that food has a great potential of maintaining tourism industry of any economy across the globe. It has also been realized that it can create authenticity of different attractions in the world. This has the impact of enhancing economies of the region.

Additionally, food provides infrastructure that is ecofriendly, a fact that is very essential for the growth of tourism industry in the region. It has also been identified to hold a significant place in ‘think globally, act locally’ debate (Murray, 2004). Many tourists are very keen on supporting growth of regional economy while ensuring environmental conservation. These types of tourists prefer local foods over imported foods (Boniface, 2003).

Campaigns that are concerned with marketing tourist destinations have also proved that there is a direct link between tourism and culinary. Despite the fact that there has not been any clear evidence for instance the number of culinary tourists, many industry players believe that gastronomy is one of the major drivers in tourism industry. Even so, this has not been supported by empirical evidence based on such features as presence of food tourism segment or even whether tourist experiences are enhanced by culinary destinations and whether culinary features of a specific destination leads to maintenance of clients (Hashimoto, 2006).

Despite evidence setback, research further indicates that culinary tourism is a crucial element in domestic tourism with people travelling to different places to enjoy specific foods. The International Culinary Tourism Association has foreseen that culinary tourism will be enhanced over time (Government of Canada, 2013). The popularity of local food development for example African, Thai, Chinese, Mexican and Indian cuisines in developed nations is a positive growth indicator that should be expected on culinary tourism.

There have also been drinks and food festivals and are positive indicators of culinary tourism developed across different parts of the globe (Molz, 2007).

Product Identification

Blueberry is one of the identified major products of Atlantic Canada and New Brunswick. The product can be used to produce different type’s cuisines that entice culinary tourists from different parts of the globe. It is also imperative to note that domestic tourists are crucial to tourism industry. This means that unique products attract local tourists even if they have access to the blueberries and in abundance. Here is a list of blueberries culinary products that can be utilized as components in enhancing culinary tourism in Atlantic Canada and New Brunswick.

Blueberry pie

This is a product that can be taken as a main dish. Pies have been identified across different parts of the globe as the most popular food products. Many countries make pies from readily available materials. As a result, blueberry pie can be considered formidable competitor to the British meat pie and the American apple pie. The blueberry pie also introduces a new type of pie with ability to attract many culinary local and international tourists.

Blueberry Flax Pancakes

These are great breakfast foods that plays a crucial role in ensuring tourists are attracted to the region. They are popular dishes in many developed nations across the globe. Their recipes have been changed and included to a given region’s cultural aspects. The inclusion of blueberry pie in culinary tourism products line can lead to growth of tourist activities in the region.

Blueberry cobbler

Cobblers are quite popular in the United States and in the United Kingdom. This means that incorporation of the products in culinary tourism will have a great role in attracting international tourists to the region. What’s more, it can be attributed to getting wind of the fact that there is a new type of cobbler with a recipe that includes blueberries and will have an appealing effect on target clients in the United Kingdom and in the United States.

Blueberry Sauce

Sauce is an incredible addition to different types of foods. Different regions across the globe have designed sauces from locally available products and they heavily reflect on their cultural backgrounds. In this respect, introducing blueberry sauce would have a positive effect in ensuring that individuals from different parts of the globe would be highly interested in visiting the destinations to sample the soup.

These blueberry products can have a positive effect on culinary tourism in the region. Even so, it is essential to ensure that potential tourists learn of the products. It is also imperative to ensure that the promotion of the products targets both international and local tourists. This also means that organizations and companies operating within the industry should organize something that plays a role in ensuring target populations learn of existence of the products.

Product Proposal

The festival will be based on a wide range of blueberry festival aspects that have been identified in North America. There are different festivals held in the region and the table below reflects the number of blueberry festivals with themes incorporated in the New Brunswick Blueberry Festival.

Date	Blueberry Festivals	Location
May 4 – 5, 2013	Florida Blueberry Festival	Brooksvile, Florida
June 1, 2013	Wellborne Blueberry Festival	Wellborne, Florida
June 8, 2013	Texas Blueberry Festival	Nacadoches, Texas

New Brunswick Wild Blueberry Festival is the proposed product. There have been past festivals on the product and even so, the recommended festival will be quite different based on the fact that people will be informed of the availability of wild blueberry products that have been highlighted as products that will help enhance New Brunswick culinary tourism.

Additionally, the festival will be purposed to attract local and international tourist who are inclined towards culinary tourism. The festival will primarily target individuals who have been identified to be influenced heavily by local cuisines when choosing their vacations or holiday destinations. The organizers will additionally have to invite high profile guests including celebrities, renowned destination critics, politicians, cultural activists and renowned environmentalists (Hall, 2006).

Market Segmentation

The target market will include local and international tourists. This means that organizers have to identify the decision making process of target market group. Based on the nature of the event, it is imperative to ensure that the marketing process is characterized by emphasis towards food and cuisine. The blueberry products highlighted have been identified as inclining towards individuals with tendencies and preferences of vegetarian dishes.

Even so, it is still crucial to include all people, thus marketing will help to highlight other foods that are inclined towards vegetarian products. It is additionally imperative to note that event organizers will have to include a marketing strategy will be attracting individuals who can make visits or trips primarily for culinary tourism. For example, marketing strategies that will appeal to teenagers can fail to ensure success based on the fact that teens are not in a position of making significant spending decisions in regards to holidays and vacation destinations (Smith, 2009).

Feasibility

The Brunswick Wild Blueberry Festival can be a turning point for many culinary tourists as they make vital destination decisions. Even though the festival can consume a lot of resources at the beginning, long term effects to the region’s economy can be worth the festivals expenses. The project is additionally feasible because many individuals are more interested in utilizing wild products for food and they often assume to be healthy compared to processed foods in local farms as well as manufacturing companies.

This means that the event organizers have added the benefit of attracting more people to the event. Wild products have been considered healthy and with medicinal attributes. As a result, many people would love to be engaged in the inception of the product among other related activities that helps to promote its usage in the region. The other feasibility benefit of the project is the fact that culinary tourists have been identified as trying something new that is known to be indigenous to a specific region. This also means that cuisine lovers will be attracted by the festival and will have an added advantage of influencing other individuals to come and try the products in the region.

Marketing Strategy

The marketing of the event will have the objective of attracting people as well as influencing them to make vital decisions to come to the region as their ideal destination choice. This means that organizers will target retired and working people who can make trips and are independent in their decision making processes. The marketing strategies that will be ideal for the target group include television and internet marketing.

This is based on the fact that retired and working people spend most of their free time surfing the internet or watching television. The Internet has been known as a credible source of information for many people including those looking for the most ideal tourist destinations.

Many people are heard saying they are on Google looking for something. As a result, placing online adverts will be very essential in ensuring that many working individuals learn of the event as well as its location. Additionally, TV is another aspect that is quite crucial for the organization’s success. Many individuals of all ages have been engaged in watching TV programs and looking for online information processes on the best tourist destinations to suit their lifestyles and preferences.

Highlighted cuisines in different programs have also been identified as quite significant in the decision making processes of different people across different states. It is additionally imperative to have in mind that many professionals and retired individuals have been identified as some of the most prolific TV viewers across different parts of the globe. This is an indication that event organizers will have to utilize TV and the internet adverts.

The most ideal approach to this marketing method is ensuring that they ensure TV programs are commissioned to focus on the significance of attending the event. The programs should be aired across different parts of the globe. Satellite TV is the most ideal choice bearing in mind that the target audience is working professionals who can afford the trips and are located in different parts of the globe.

Such TV channels for instance BBC Knowledge and Food Channel have been identified as having the ability to reach out to many people across the globe. Event organizers should additionally be attributed to the clarity that many people looking for tourist destinations are more likely to search for information online. This will play a great role in ensuring target group learns of available food products.

The rationale of utilizing the interactive website is that target audience will mainly need a lot of information. This means that the website should be monitored by people who will available round the clock to answer to any queries to clients interested in further insights of the event (Hashimoto, 2006).

Recommendations

There are different recommendations that event organizers should include to make the festival a success and to ensure it enhances culinary tourism successfully in the country. Here are some of the recommendations

The organizers should include other food varieties that have been identified to have cultural significance in New Brunswick community. The blueberry products undoubtedly have an appealing effect to different populations. Even so, it is imperative to note that fish and meat lovers may feel left out. This means that in the menus to be focused on, there are culinary aspects that will include meat and fish dishes that will play a crucial role in ensuring that the culinary tourist client base is expanded to include fish and meat lovers. Dishes such as poutine rapees, Bay of Fundy lobster and Fricot a la poule chicken should be included.

Additionally, the marketing strategy should not only be focused to populations found in developed countries only. It is imperative to note that individuals in new and growing markets have been in a position to access the data they use. The fact that economies are enhanced and rapidly growing indicates that the people have cash to spend on aspects such as holidays and vacations. The markets can be quite influential in the New Brunswick culinary tourism development.

The event also should not be held once but should be often. This is essential in ensuring that many people are informed of the opportunities that New Brunswick offers as a culinary tourist destination. It is equally important to note that target population has been increasing over time and if event organizers do not design the right procedures of creating awareness, new market population may not learn of the opportunities that the destination offers.

Event organizers should also include other food varieties in the future that are culturally relevant in the region. For example, the province is popular for its abundance in blue mussels, crab, maple syrup, haddock, arctic char, trout and salmon as well as clams. These products can attract many culinary tourists to promote the tourism in the region. Additionally, inclusion of the products will be advantageous to organizers in short term and in the long term tourism objectives of the region.

Similarly, there is needed to be creative in the designing of products and the festival. Culinary experts for example should be given the incentive of including wild blueberries in their food products so that meat and such foods can have an element of wild blue berry. This is crucial in ensuring that the region is considered a global leader in new cuisine introduction marked with invention and innovation. This could in the end lead to increased number of individuals visiting the region as culinary holidaymakers.

References

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Boniface, P. (2003). Tasting tourism: Travelling for food and drink. Burlington, VT: Ashgate.

Government of New Brunswick, 2013, Industry Overview: New Brunswick Wild Blueberries. Retrieved from http://www.gnb.ca/0171/10/A10E.pdf

Government of Canada, 2013, Canadian blueberries, retrieved from http://www.marquecanadabrand.agr.gc.ca/fact-fiche/5318-eng.htm

Hall, C. M. (2006). Introduction: Culinary Tourism and Regional Development: From Slow Food to Slow Tourism?. Tourism Review International, 9(4), 303-305.

Hashimoto, A., & Telfer, D. J. (2006). Selling Canadian culinary tourism: Branding the global and the regional product. Tourism Geographies, 8(1), 31-55.

Molz, J. G. (2007). Eating Difference The Cosmopolitan Mobilities of Culinary Tourism. Space and Culture, 10(1), 77-93.

Murray, I., & Haraldsdottir, L. (2004). Developing a rural culinary tourism product: Considerations and resources for success. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada, Quebec City, Quebec.

Smith, S., & Costello, C. (2009). Culinary tourism: Satisfaction with a culinary event utilizing importance-performance grid analysis. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 15(2), 99-110.

World foodtravel association, 2013, what is food tourism, retrieved from http://www.worldfoodtravel.org/what-is-food-tourism/