Marketing & Advertising

FOOD TOURISM
Culinary tourism is growing exponentially every year. Indian cuisine is the world's most stylish and diverse, but the world is yet to get a glimpse into it assortments. The diverse cultures and culinary traditions of India are garnering increasing international attention. It is time for us Indians to deliberate seriously about developing food tourism. The basic problem is that the destinations are poorly packaged. It requires little imagination and little inventiveness to make it big, say Dr. Vidya Hattangadi and Prof. Rukshana Billimoria.

Dr. Vidya Hattangadi

Tasty facts

Research
suggests that a high percentage of travelers travel to different destinations in the world only to taste variety of cuisines.

Food has always been a core element of tourism. A tourist consumes not only the sights and sounds, but also the taste of a place. Food offers a gateway into other cultures, through taste, through food preparation and the whole eating atmosphere. Food and beverages provide lasting memories that define a holiday or travel experience. The tangible aspects of food provide knowledge base into religion, traditions, customs and history of other places. Local food is a fundamental component of a destination's trait, adding to the range of attractions and the overall sightseeing experience. It helps that today's tourist is better informed, more cultured, well travelled and is all out for new experiences. Research suggests that a high percentage of travelers travel to different destinations in the world only to taste variety of cuisines. Food fanatics travel only to taste everything the world has to offer. For them food is a symphony of flavor, color, balanced ingredients and shapes. Indeed, some foodies return to the destination just to resample its cuisine. Food tourism contains commercial or domestic, festive or ordinary food, involving restaurant, festivals, cooking competitions, food stores, food events, countryside food, cookery classes, films, rum and wine tours and other similar ways of physically experiencing the cuisine. The local communities today have a very important voice in the way tourism is developed. They appreciate when governments make strategies of maintaining ecological balance and harnessing natural resources while allowing them to nurture their distinctiveness. Travelers interested in cooking and eating, sampling wine and beer, cooking, baking and learning about the history of certain foods can choose to visit a variety of destinations in the world. Travel and tourism companies can design unique culinary tourism packages for them. French food lovers may consider cooking classes in Paris or attending a French cooking school as a guest. Italy, Spain and other countries in the Mediterranean offer farmhouse cooking vaca-

74 Corporate India May 31, 2013

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Business Management
Tourism's campaign to improve the treatment of tions, where visitors can live in a farmhouse or tourists in India. I wish to list below some favilla for an extended period of time and learn mous tourist destinations which are also famous about local and regional cuisine. for culinary cause. Indian cuisine is the world's most stylish and New Delhi offers delicious street food includdiverse, but the world is yet to get a glimpse into ing variations of fresh bhel, chaat, samosas, wadas. it assortments. The Indian food served in restauFood culture in Delhi is dominated by north Inrants worldwide is North Indian, also known as dian or Mughlai food. Delhi is famous for Punjabi Mughlai or Punjabi. Indian food has evolved over food and mouth watering street food. Delhi has thousands of years and has absorbed influences RukshanaBillimoria good dhabas for sit-down meals and variety of of the British, Portuguese, Muslims and French cafes and restaurants for all budgets. In Hyderabad you will culinary traditions. Yet it has held its own identity. Indian savor culinary traditions passed down from the Nizam era. The cooking has honed perfection of blending spices which have Masalas or the rich blend of herbs, spices and condiments give medicinal values, besides imparting additional aroma and the dishes a base, or what is popularly known as "Gravy". flavours to the food. Some of these blends are well-kept secrets till today. This is the A traditional Indian meal comprises vitamins, carbohyonly destination in India where you will find authentic Arabic, drates, proteins, fats, fiber everything you need for a healthy Turkish and Mughlai cuisines. The city is famous for its rich, lifestyle. It includes an assortment of fresh vegetables and aromatic biryani made with lamb, chicken or vegetables and fruit cooked in a multitude of ways that help retain their served with fragrant basmati rice. freshness and nutrients. The foods are mostly vegetarian, For sea food fanatics Goa is the right destination. The but many include lamb, goat, chicken meat and even fish. people of Goa will pamper you with its numerous varieties Indian cuisine is usually very spicy. Meals are usually eaten of sea food. Fish and prawn curries, variety of fish like kingwithout cutlery, while seated on the floor, but these tradifish, pomfret, tuna and shark dominate the list of local delitions are starting to change for the restaurants leaning tocacies along with spicy pork, chicken curries and a wide wards the Europe or the US culture. range of regional vegetarian thalis. Jaipur, India's Pink City, Perhaps we Indians have not deliberated seriously has preserved its own food tradition. This city's culinary about developing food tourism yet. The diverse cultures tradition consists in pampering guests with full thali comand culinary traditions of India are garnering increasing inprising dal batti, churma, bajre ki roti and chapattis, mishri ternational attention. Reality shows on the televisions such mawa, kalakand and ghewar. Jaipur markets are home to as 'Master Chef India' which commemorates people who an abundance of food stalls. Mumbai's streets are famous make great food, Khana Khazana, Zaika India ka, and many for foods such as pav-bhaji, kababs, vada-pav, chiken tikka, more foodie programs have enthused millions of people to pani puri, shev puri. The khau gallis near Zaveri Bazar and cook food. Participants on the show have great fan followMangaldas Market and Mohammed Ali Road during the Eid ing. These shows have transported the most mundane evfestival are world famous for attracting foodies. eryday chore of cooking into a life changing experience. According to the International Culinary Tourism AssoShows like these have a great impact on the origin of the ciation, which is renamed as Word Food Travel Association dish. I think the travel and tourism businesses could work (WFTA), culinary tourism is growing exponentially every out strategies in association with such show. year. The WFTA claims to be the world's largest food tourEating and dining etiquette throughout the country difism trade group, with more than 18,000 members in 135 fers. The traditional Indian way of eating is on the floor, countries. The association's focal points are education and sitting cross legged in a circle with the food placed in the research, product development, and marketing. center. Indian meals are simple yet varied. Food is respected The basic problem in food tourism is that the destinaand treated divinely. "Atithi devo bhavah' - ????? ???? ??? tions are poorly packaged. It requires little imagination and 'The guest is little inventiveness to make it big. The value chain of food God' detourism needs reworking and a fresh approach. scribes the host-guest relationship. It (Dr. Vidya Hattangadi is Director, Smt. K.G.Mittal has become Institute of Management, IT & Research. Prof. the tag line of Rukshana Billimoria is Principal of Anjuman-I-Islam's Indian MinisA.K.Hafizka Institute of Hotel Management and Catry of tering Technology.)
May 31, 2013 Corporate India 75

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