Sustainability of Gastronomic Tourism in Malaysia: Theoretical Context

Abstract

As a niche part of the hospitality and tourism industry, gastronomic tourism can be considered as one of the elements for the tourists to assimilate with the culture and lifestyle of a destination which embodies different traditional values associated to the country they visit. The role that gastronomic tourism plays has its own contributions towards the growth of gastronomic experiences among tourists particularly on the quality and sustainability of local food products, as well as the landscape of traditions, culture and lifestyle. By looking at the rapid growth of gastronomic tourism in Malaysia, it is important for the hospitality and tourism players to promote and expand the horizons of tourists on the local culture and food. This paper aims to understand the sustainability of gastronomic tourism in Malaysia from a theoretical context. By reviewing literature related to sustainability in the field of hospitality and tourism, this paper highlighted the relationship between Malaysian gastronomic heritage with three different components of the sustainability system; economic, social and environmental sustainability. Further research; both empirical and non-empirical must be taken in order to uncover the interconnection between these three main components in sustaining the gastronomic tourism landscape in Malaysia.