Using examples, critically discuss the importance of gastronomy to at Essay - 1

Using examples, critically discuss the importance of gastronomy to at festivals - Essay Example In today’s tourism industry, destinations are presenting food as a key element of their package to attract tourists. The objective of this essay is to analyze the role of gastronomy at festivals. A very good example of festival and trade based on gastronomy is Whitstable Oyster Festival in Kent. It is one of the ancient food festivals in the UK (Hall et al, 2008). It celebrates the tradition of the oyster industry in Kent. Haven-Tang et al (2006) have discussed the role of food festival in developing a sense of place. In the context of Monmouthshire food festival, the focus on local food and drink has been reported to have significant positive impact on the local economy Haven-Tang et al (2006). Moreover, it has proved that the emphasis on local food and drink through these festivals improve the visitor experience as well. A very interesting gastronomy project that was customized and exclusively designed for the promotion of local food and community was the ‘Eat the View’ project developed by the UK countryside agency. The festivals as part of this are reported to have created awareness among the travelers on the local food and culture and have had substantial positive influence on the promotion of local food ventures (Hall, 2005). The Great British Food Festival - Staffordshire, The Colchester Food and Drink Festival are some among a lot of food festivals coming up in the UK confirming the increasing role of gastronomy in tourism. Wine festivals are reported to be of great potential in the context of the United Kingdom (Hall et al, 2008). The ‘Taste of London Festival’ which was conducted in Regent Street in the summer of 2007, was a gourmet festival which is reported to have important role in improving awareness among the tourists on British Food. This brand of food festiva l was later replicated in the cities of Bath, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Dublin (Hall et al, 2008). The impact of