Tourism and Gastronomy


Traveling for the Pleasure of Tasting Food


Volume 14 - SET Coordinated by Philippe Violier

Tourism and Gastronomy

Dénali Boutain, University of Angers, France.


ISBN : 9781836690757

Publication Date : August 2026

Hardcover 318 pp

170 USD

Co-publisher

Description


Over the past two decades, tourism centered on taste as a cultural resource has gained prominence, attracting growing interest from public authorities and industry stakeholders at various levels.

Tourism and Gastronomy examines the dynamics at play – interregional projects, national certifications and local initiatives – based on the creation of a shared “common” taste, which is then expressed through local culinary identities. The Savoie region offers a prime example of this phenomenon: Michelin-starred chefs, through their fame, their regional roots and their promotion of a “mountain flavor”, have become unifying figures who contribute to the region’s appeal.

While gastronomy is rarely the primary reason for travel, it contributes to the promotion and recognition of a place’s cultural heritage, and more broadly to local development. This process, which depends on coordination and the strategies of the various stakeholders, can lead to the creation of true gourmet tourist destinations, as evidenced by several examples in France and around the world.

Contents


Part 1. Esthetics and Esthesia: Touristic and Gastronomic Practices and Places.
1. Esthetization of Taste.
2. The Esthetization of Places and Environments and the Connected Tourist Mobility.

Part 2. Structuring of Gourmet Tourist Destinations: The Example of the Savoie Region, in France.
3. Certification and Heritagization of Gourmand Food.
4. Establishing the Conditions Necessary for Local Development on the Basis of Gastronomy.

Part 3. Around the World in Gourmet Tourist Destinations.
5. Sector-Specific Approaches: An International Perspective.
6. Gourmet Tourist Destinations Intersecting with Tourist Projects.

About the authors/editors


Dénali Boutain is an associate professor of geography at INNTO ESTHUA and a member of the ESO Laboratory at the University of Angers, France. His research focuses on tourism and gastronomy, as well as the emergence of gourmet tourism destinations.