THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON CULINARY BUSINESSES: A REVIEW

Abstract

Culinary tourism also referred to as food tourism or gastronomy tourism, is engaged in by individuals who seek out culinary experiences to broaden their understanding of food culture or lifestyle while travelling. Tourism is very lucrative to local, state and national economies. Over the past decade, tourists have transitioned to seeking cultural experiences, where individuals immerse themselves in the cuisine and lifestyle of a culture, from street food to gourmet and fine dining. According to World Food Travel Association (WFTA), 80% of travellers research food and drink options while travelling to a new destination. Moreover, the organization states that 53% of these travellers consider themselves “culinary travellers.” With the COVID-19 pandemic limiting international travel, the impact has been greatly felt across all industries. The use of technology has been widespread during this time. During the height of lock-downs, with some of our favourite restaurants and food services unavailable, many people turned to social media to learn how to make their favourite dishes at home. So, from virtual cooking shows and tutorials, to live tastings and remote social eating have all been used to keep people engaged and interactive temporarily replacing the traditional experience. In support of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s #TravelTomorrow campaign, chefs from around the world, including UNWTO Ambassadors for gastronomy tourism, shared their local recipes, giving audience a taste of what to expect when people start to travel again, and highlighting the unique potential of culinary. This paper using integrative literature review will highlight some of the impacts and challenges that food business especially small and medium establishments faced as a result of this pandemic. Caring about local food businesses and markets can help preserve our culinary roots. The recovery plan might be slow, but the tourism industry has always been resilient, it will survive. JEL Classification: M19, L83

Keywords

• business, challenges, culinary, impact, tourism.