Growth of Economics in California Culinary Tourism
Tourism has always been good for a local economy. Tourists bring in dollars that support local businesses, such as gift shops, ski resorts and restaurants. Every state seeks to market its uniqueness to tourists. For example, Nashville, Tennessee, is the center of country music, and California is a large and well-known wine-growing region of the United States. Wine and food go hand in hand, and economists and local businesses seek to increase the growth of culinary tourism in California.
Other People Are Reading
-
Michigan Viewpoints
-
A conference was held in Michigan on January 10, 2010, among business leaders in Michigan, to discuss culinary tourism. The main point emphasized was that culinary tourism retains and provides new jobs for people by improving the local economy. An important point brought out by Linda Jones, Executive Director of Michigan Grape and Wine Council, is that California markets wine and food pairing to tourists. In order for Michigan to succeed, it must also market as effectively as California.
Oakland Viewpoints
-
The Oakland, California, Convention and Visitor's Bureau expressed its viewpoints on culinary tourism in a press release. The Bureau stated that Oakland has a wide diversity of fine restaurants, all featuring local flavors. The restaurants use fresh ingredients, so the menus change according to the season. A point brought out is that local residents are very familiar with the restaurants and farmer's market. In order for Oakland to attract tourist dollars, it must "get the word out" beyond the local population, by effectively marketing the fact that it has a variety of restaurants and vineyards.
-
San Francisco Viewpoints
-
Journalist Michael Bauer wrote in the "San Fransisco Gate" about the overall sentiment concerning culinary tourism in the San Fransisco area. He stated, citing the International Culinary Tourism Association, that San Fransisco should market its regional specialties, both to local residents and to out-of-town tourists. He further cited the Association, in stating that it's a misconception that local residents and tourists don't want regional flavors.
Socio-Economic Analysis
-
Sajna S. Shenoy wrote her doctoral thesis at Clemson University in 2005 on culinary tourism. Citing the authenticated sources of Ritchie and Zins, she stated that food is part of the culture of the region. She further stated that food, when eaten by a tourist, loses its utilitarian function and rather becomes a type of recreation. She noted that each region must effectively market its uniqueness and pointed out that the Napa Valley region is world-famous for its wines.
Lessons Learned
-
All the aforementioned expertise points to one thing: That in order for California to increase its tourist influx, it must aggressively market the wine-and-food pairing. Some effective methods would be vineyard tours, with a restaurant nearby making regional dishes paired with the wine of the vineyard. Many small vineyards are in the Napa Valley region, and they could start their own restaurant right beside the wine grape-growing fields. California must exploit the fact that it is well-known as the wine capital of the United States in order to attract yet more tourist dollars.
-
References
- Photo Credit vineyard image by Tomasz Pawlowski from Fotolia.com
