Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Tourism Management Perspectives
Volume
54
Publisher
Elsevier
School
School of Business and Law
RAS ID
72567
Funders
15th Hokuriku Bank Grant
Abstract
This study aims to examine the underlying barriers that hinder social and environmental sustainability at food tourism festivals from the perspectives of the local community and festival organizers. In the context of an abalone festival in Japan, a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with key stakeholders was conducted. The findings suggest that the local community's skepticism and mediocre (un)involvement, ambiguous representation of local tradition/culture, and limited social interactions between hosts and tourists were hindering social sustainability. Challenges in food resource management and the effects of climate change impacted the food festival's environmental sustainability. The study confirms that social and environmental sustainability are symbiotic in food festivals, and thus their mutual influence and interplay must be considered in planning long-lasting and sustainable food tourism events. The relevance and efficacy of relational theory of society as a paradigmatic and theoretical lens is presented in the context of food tourism events/festivals and sustainability.
DOI
10.1016/j.tmp.2024.101304
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Thelen, T., & Kim, S. (2024). Towards social and environmental sustainability at food tourism festivals: Perspectives from the local community and festival organizers. Tourism Management Perspectives, 54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2024.101304