Tourism Geographies: An International Journal of Tourism Space, Place and Environment

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Selling Canadian Culinary Tourism: Branding theGlobal and the Regional ProductAtsuko Hashimoto a & David J. Telfer aa Department of Recreation & Leisure Studies , Brock University , Ontario, CanadaPublished online: 20 Aug 2006.

To cite this article: Atsuko Hashimoto & David J. Telfer (2006) Selling Canadian Culinary Tourism: Branding the Global andthe Regional Product, Tourism Geographies: An International Journal of Tourism Space, Place and Environment, 8:1, 31-55,DOI: 10.1080/14616680500392465

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Tourism GeographiesVol. 8, No. 1, 31–55, February 2006

Selling Canadian Culinary Tourism:Branding the Global and the RegionalProduct

ATSUKO HASHIMOTO & DAVID J. TELFERDepartment of Recreation & Leisure Studies, Brock University, Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT Canadian identity with respect to attracting tourists is often associated withthe natural environment. Canadian society is, however, also associated with the policy ofmulticulturalism and diversity. Agencies such as the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)have recognized the growing interest in cuisine and have begun to promote Canada as aculinary tourism destination. One of the challenges facing agencies such as the CTC is thatthere is not an easily definable Canadian cuisine. Canada’s culinary traditions have beeninfluenced by a long history of immigration, together with regional product availability. Chefshave combined cultural traditions and local products, creating new forms and styles of cooking.Efforts from different geographical regions across the country will highlight the rich diversityavailable in Canadian culinary tourism influenced, not only by global but also by regionalforces, which can be branded under the umbrella of cuisine in Canada.

KEY WORDS: Canada, food tourism, identity, image, branding

Introduction

Successful tourist destinations today tend to share similar attributes, such as accessi-bility, affordable tour packages, good weather and, in addition, heritage and/or naturalfeatures (Butler 1998). Constructing the image of a tourist destination is manifold. Itis in a sense a creation of ‘a certain idea of landscape, a myth, a vision . . . in an actualplace . . . ’ (Schama 1996: 61). National or federal governments, national and regionaltourist offices, the tourism industry and investors, using advertisements and promo-tional events, create an image and a brand for tourist destinations. Created images maybe a true reflection of history, nature and tradition or a fantasized or even distortedreflection to suit consumers’ tastes (Butler 1998; Milne et al. 1998; Saarinen 1998).However, as this ‘image’ establishes itself in the destination area, it becomes a partof the scenery and the representation may become stronger than reality. Therefore,

Correspondence Address: Atsuko Hashimoto, Department of Recreation & Leisure Studies, Brock Uni-versity, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada L2S 3A1. Fax: (905) 984-4843; Tel.: (905) 688-5550 ext. 4367;Email: [email protected]

ISSN 1461-6688 Print/1470-1340 Online /06/01/00031–25 C© 2006 Taylor & FrancisDOI: 10.1080/14616680500392465

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32 A. Hashimoto & D. J. Telfer

choosing the ‘image’ of a destination (or a nation) requires considerable calculationfor the short and long term. In Canada, the concept of branding has moved into publicpolicy discussions on how to brand Canada in today’s global world (Israel 2003). Thediscussion revolves around how to

create and sustain an image of the country that is both appealing and true, animage that attracts outsiders, creates interest and produces a willingness to dobusiness and to partner with Canada in shared ventures be they political oreconomic (Israel 2003: 3).

There are a number of images, which are typical representations of Canada (Israel2003). These include Canada’s natural beauty and size, images of the Rocky Moun-tains, the expanse of the Prairies and the ruggedness of the Atlantic coastline. Canadais also presented as a modern state with cutting-edge technology and science. Canadais depicted as a peaceful, caring society with generous social programmes. Israel(2003) argued that choices need to be made as to how Canada is portrayed and thatimmigration, which is seldom mentioned, should be included in the message. This isa unique aspect of Canada as no other developed country takes in as many immigrantsper capita and, as an extension of this, there is the change of pace in Canada’s socialand cultural transformation (Israel 2003). The decision to include immigration in theimage surrounding Canada would establish Canada’s unique place among nationsand ‘brand’ Canada as profoundly as the country’s physical landscape (Israel 2003).Within his argument, Israel focused on identity and how the country wishes to beperceived or marketed. While he stressed the importance of immigration he also ac-knowledged images of regional differences primarily based on physical geography.Theses differences dictate, in part, the resulting availability of local products, affect-ing the food tourism product. Together these two forces, the global and the regionalhave helped forge the culinary traditions of Canada, which are becoming recognizedas a potential lure for tourists.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between identity and mar-keting cuisine in Canada. The paper will begin by examining the nature of Canadianidentity as it is linked to food, both from the perspective of being a nation of immi-grants and from the perspective of being made up of distinct regions. Selected casesof regional food products, tours and special events are then presented in the context ofidentifying potential branding strategies for culinary tourism in Canada. This sampleillustrates not only the importance of how a region can be branded in terms of culi-nary products but also how global influences are at work at the more local or regionallevel. The paper will finish with suggestions on how to brand Canada as a culinarydestination in terms of both the global and the regional level.

Canadian Identity and Cuisine

In modern theories of national identity, the notion of national identities being basedon a singular culture within the state boundary has been challenged. The traditional

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Canadian Culinary Tourism 33

notion claims that national identity stems from people’s habitual ways of workingin collaboration and prediscursive knowledge, however the ausseren habitus of im-migrants and foreigners impedes the formation of a monoculture national identity(Calhoun 1995). With today’s population migration, nations such as Canada and theUK have moved away from the traditional notion of the state with a singular cultureand rather their multiculturalism has become a foundation of their ‘national identity’.Foucault, Derrida and other post-modernists advocated the significance of ‘difference’rather than nomalization, albeit in an ambiguous term (Calhoun 1995) and Canada,for example, is enjoying its national identity being based on multiculturalism, variousethnic mores and habitus. Canada’s multiculturalism permeates through a range ofsocial activities. For example, the vision statement for the Canadian Tourism Commis-sion (CTC) (2001a: 2) stated that ‘Canada will be the premier four-season destinationto connect with nature and to experience diverse cultures and communities’. Thedocument governing cultural diversity is the Canadian Multiculturalism Act. Table 1contains the Multicultural Policy set out within the Act.

The first two items from Table 1 summarize the nature of the Act. First, all mem-bers of Canadian society have the freedom to preserve, enhance, protect and share

Table 1. Multiculturalism policy of Canada

(1) It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Government of Canada to(a) recognize and promote the understanding that multiculturalism reflects the cultural

and racial diversity of Canadian society and acknowledges the freedom of allmembers of Canadian society to preserve, enhance and share their cultural heritage;

(b) recognize and promote the understanding that multiculturalism is a fundamentalcharacteristic of the Canadian heritage and identity and that it provides an invaluableresource in the shaping of Canada’s future;

(c) promote the full and equitable participation of individuals and communities of allorigins in the continuing evolution and shaping of all aspects of Canadian society andassist them in the elimination of any barrier to that participation;

(d) recognize the existence of communities whose members share a common origin andtheir historic contribution to Canadian society, and enhance their development;

(e) ensure that all individuals receive equal treatment and equal protection under the law,while respecting and valuing their diversity;

( f ) encourage and assist the social, cultural, economic and political institutions ofCanada to be both respectful and inclusive of Canada’s multicultural character;

(g) promote the understanding and creativity that arise from the interaction betweenindividuals and communities of different origins;

(h) foster the recognition and appreciation of the diverse cultures of Canadian society andpromote the reflection and the evolving expressions of those cultures;

(i) preserve and enhance the use of languages other than English and French, whilestrengthening the status and use of the official languages of Canada; and

( j) advance multiculturalism throughout Canada in harmony with the nationalcommitment to the official languages of Canada.

Source: Department of Justice Canada (2003).

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their culture and, secondly, that multiculturalism is a fundamental characteristic ofCanadian heritage and identity. As James (1995) noted, from its beginnings, Canadahas been settled by peoples of different ethnicities, languages and subcultures, fromthe first Aboriginal groups who themselves are a very diverse population, to the Eu-ropeans and later to immigrants from all over the world. James (1995) argued thatwhat makes Canada unique is that meaning is given to ethnic groups, which relatesto their national or ancestral origins (e.g. Italian, African, Asian, etc.) and that this isrecognized in the multicultural policy. Meanwhile there is extensive debate as to howwell the policy has worked and to what extent cultural assimilation occurs (James1995; Day 2000), and the fact that the province of Quebec has come close to separat-ing from the rest of Canada. Statistics from the 2001 Census, Elections Canada andthe 2001 General Social Survey illustrate the complexity and diversity of Canadiansociety (Treble and Wickens 2003). Eighteen percent of the population is born outsideof Canada and only 39 percent of the people report their ethnic origin as Canadian.Canada has some very multicultural cities. Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal took in73 percent of new arrivals in the 1990s. Toronto has 62 ethnic groups whose numbersare 10,000 people or more and also has 15 ethnic groups with more than 100,000people. Defined as ‘a dynamic and complex set of values, beliefs, norms patterns ofthinking, styles of communication, linguistic expressions and ways of interpretingand interacting with the world’ (James 1995: 2), culture is therefore strongly linkedto the foodways of a people (Meigs 1997).

Given the diversity that makes up Canada, it is difficult to market a single Canadiancuisine. Canadian culture and therefore its food are also influenced from the outsidethrough international media (James 1995). In fact, Scarpato and Daniele (Anon. inScarpato and Daniele 2003: 303) discussed new global cuisines and referred to thedefinition as reported in the US magazine Bon Appetit, ‘call it multicultural, cross-cultural, intercontinental, fusion or world cuisine – it is what’s happening in foodtoday. Creative cooks are combining styles, techniques, ingredients and flavours fromevery corner of the globe, often in a single dish’. Stereotypes do, however, exist aboutfood in Canada, often tied to a specific product. Maple syrup and smoked salmonare two such products that can be found in most international departure lounges ofairports as last-minute souvenirs for tourists. Some food and drink products throughmass media do tap into the formation or reinforcement of Canadian identity. In anadvertisement promoting Canadian magazines, the Canadian Magazine PublishersAssociation (2003), in a humorous fashion, linked doughnuts to Canadian cuisine.Part of the text of the advertisement reads as a list of different types of doughnuts,ending with a comment indicating Canadians have their own cuisine. In anotheradvertisement, which received considerable attention in 2000, the Molson brewingcompany created what became for some, a very patriotic ad. The advertisement for oneof their beers pokes fun at the stereotypes that people have of Canada and Canadiansand also sets the country apart as being distinct from the USA. One phrase whichpoints out a supposed misconception people have about all Canadians relates to food,

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indicating all Canadians do not eat blubber (Molson 2000). Frito Lay Canada, a potatochip company, is currently running a Tastes of Canada competition to help name a newline of potato chips in association with various regions across the country. Existingflavours include Wild Stampede BBQ (Calgary, Alberta in the west is famous for theirstampede and barbeques) and P.E.I. Loaded Baked Potato (Prince Edward Islandin the east is famous for potatoes). Customers are asked to vote on the company’sInternet site to help select the next flavour and have the choice of Cape Breton SeaSalt, Toronto College Street Pizza, Montreal Marche Jean-Talon Herb and Garlic orWhistler Cool Dill (Markusoff 2003).

On a more serious note, Canadians are taking part in an international movementtowards the development of regional cuisine using indigenous or locally cultivatedproducts. Products such as Atlantic seafood and Alberta beef are culinary attractions;however, there is increasing use of specialized products such as Saskatoon berries,Quebec cheeses and Arctic muskox (Deneault 2002). Canada has developed severalculinary-orientated festivals drawing large numbers, and tours operators are beginningto package culinary products. In examining Canadian culinary history, Vincent (2002:48) stated that ‘over the years, our savoury and succulent gastronomic history hasbeen influenced by new technologies, changing economic conditions, multiculturaltraditions, nutritional developments and, of course the riches and scarcities of the landand sea’. This last statement reflects the importance of the region in terms of foodproduct availability and will be explored later. The region is also important in terms ofidentity. Bell and Valentine (1997) drew on the work of Crang (1995), who advocatedthat regional cuisines are invented traditions. They put forward the argument thatregional cuisines are invested and reinvested with meaning and often with vehementlocal patriotism. Cultural practices such as food preparation and consumption areimportant in marking regional identity. Food products become identified by the region,with the region becoming the brand (Bell and Valentine 1997).

Branding Cuisine

As noted above, Israel (2003) argued that Canada should brand itself based in part onbeing a nation of immigrants. Branding is a way of increasing efficiency of marketingand destinations seek to create destination awareness (knowledge of the destination)and a destination image (a positive image of the destination) in a consumer market(Scott 2002). Key elements that enhance brand awareness and create strong brandassociations in the mind of consumers include brand name, logo, symbols, character,packaging and slogan (Keller as cited in Scott 2002). It is important to note thatbranding goes beyond advertising as it involves the creation of a whole ‘personality’with which a consumer can relate (Scottt 2002). In terms of cuisine, Canada could bebranded as a place where foods of the world come together. There is also potential tobrand the cuisine from the various distinctive regions across Canada. As Hall et al.(2003: 34) argued ‘regionality is clearly important, particularly in terms of promoting

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the attributes of the food, wine and tourism products of a given place’. One widelycited example is the use of appellations for wine areas signifying that the wine comesfrom a specific region, such as Burgundy. There is a growing movement to protectother regional food and drink products within the European Union. Bottled waterand cheese are other examples of products that can be tied to a specific region (Hall2002). Hall et al. (2003) cited the examples of food-related promotions, such as ‘TheNew Zealand Way’ and ‘Pure Ireland’, so that places can become brands and holdsignificant brand values and therefore, place has significant importance as intellectualproperty.

It is becoming evident that food wine and tourism industries rely on regional andnational branding for market leverage and promotion (Hall et al. 2003). This leavesthe question then, what is Canadian cuisine? Hluchy (2003) argued that Canadiancuisine is a medley of local and ethnic flavours. She suggested that ‘wild food, localfood, seasonal food – this is the mantra of the chefs, producers and foodies whoare establishing a distinctive Canadian cuisine’ (Hluchy 2003: 69). If that is a broaddefinition of Canadian cuisine, regionality, localization and seasonal availability offood ingredients vary from one location to another across the country.

The Geography of Canadian Cuisine

In a link to branding, Stewart (2000: 13) defined Canadian cuisine in terms of

celebrating our magnificent differences, our roots and our ethnicity. It’s aboutpossibilities and how as a people continue to welcome immigrants from allover the world and in doing so permanently enrich our food ways. It’s aboutcreating the best from our local ingredients, then selling it to the world. It’sabout branding ourselves Canadian and giving our producers an unmistakableedge that no other nation can emulate.

In its report for developing Canadian cuisine tourism, the CTC noted the difficulties indefining Canadian cuisine and rather uses the term cuisine in Canada, which signifiesthe diversity of available product (Deneault 2002). Canada has approximately 63,500restaurants and Canadians themselves spend CAN$39 billion annually in restaurants,eating out on average 4.7 times a week (Fick and Vincent 2002). Culinary tourismcovers a wide scope of activities as is evident in Table 2 (Deneault 2002).

The paper now turns to presenting a regional sampling of culinary tourism activitiesfrom across Canada. The tour will begin at the national level, then move east to westand north covering the Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairie Provinces, BritishColumbia and the north. While some regions are more easily identifiable with ageneral type of cuisine, it is important to note there are distinct sub-regions in termsof cuisine styles and available products and that there is also cross over between theregions. From the First Nations People to immigrants from around the world, peoplehave added their cultural distinctiveness to cuisine in Canada. An example of the

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Table 2. Available culinary tourism activities in Canada

• Aboriginal feasts• Agri-tourism activites• Cooking schools• Dinner and theatre packages• Dining in Canada’s many renowned

fine restaurants/inns• Farm vacations• Fruit picking• Lobster/oyster/mussels hauling• Lobster suppers

• Tasting/buying packaged localproducts/farmer’s markets

• Tours along a food/wine/beer route• Traditional ‘Cabane a sucre’ (sugar

bush)• Traditional dining experiences• Visit a cheese factory• Visit a food-related economuseum• Visit a smoke house• Winery tour and tasting

Source: Deneault (2002).

complexity is found in an investigation by Fick and Vincent (2002). A curried chickpeapotato burrito ordered from a cafe on Toronto’s College Street had ingredients fromfive Canadian provinces and eleven other countries. Ingredients such as coconut camefrom tropical climates, many of the vegetables came from farms less than one hour’sdrive from the restaurant.

National

Knowing that tourists generally spend on average one third of their travel expenseson food, and having multicultural cuisine and regional variations in food and drinkproducts at hand, conceiving the idea of highlighting cuisine as a tourist attractionmay appear straightforward. However, the implementation is not that simple. In de-veloping a national cuisine tourism strategy, the CTC hosted Regional Round Ta-bles from October 1999 to May 2001 in St John’s (Newfoundland), Charlottetown(P.E.I.), Vancouver (B.C.), Niagara Falls (Ontario), Saskatoon (Saskatchewan), Win-nipeg (Manitoba), Edmonton (Alberta) and Montreal (Quebec). The aim of the RoundTables was to gather representatives from the food and travel industry to explore de-veloping Canada as a culinary destination. The National Tourism and Cuisine Forumwas held in Halifax in June of 2001 and Acquiring a taste for cuisine tourism: Aproduct development strategy (Deneault 2002) was published by the CTC in 2002.One of the interesting developments from this process has been the creation of a Na-tional Tourism and Cuisine Database accessible over the Internet (MacDonald 2001)comprised of people and organizations actively promoting and developing Canadiancuisine. Table 3 presents a summary of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,Threats (SWOT) analysis of cuisine tourism as identified by the CTC. In further-ing product development, the CTC also released ‘a how to guide’ for developing aculinary tourism product in 2003 (CTC 2003c).

The CTC also developed the Product Club program, providing assistance for smalland medium-sized enterprises to co-operate and develop unique products (see Telfer2002a). Two of these Product Clubs, Cuisine, Wine and Culture in Canada based

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Table 3. SWOT analysis of cuisine tourism in Canada

Strengths Opportunities

Tremendous variety, quality and value.Renowned chefs and regional products.Cuisine is a four-season product that can

be linked to other tourism products.Wine Regions in Ontario and B.C.CTC research on culinary tourism.Strength of Canadian tourism industry.

Work with organizations (Tastes ofNiagara/Nova Scotia) to developpackages.

Expand beyond local/regional products todevelop cross-Canada products.

Promote local foods to tourists byworking with the industry andproducers for export-ready products.

Increase cuisine and wine promotionalactivities and partnerships.

Weaknesses Threats

International perception of cuisine inCanada is weak.

No clearly defined style of cooking orfood that can be communicated easilyto consumers.

No national organizations that focus ondeveloping cuisine as a tourismproduct.

Relatively few specific culinary tourismpackages.

Public and private sectors need to formpartnerships for cuisine tourism togrow.

CTC needs more information on availableproducts to market internationally.

Budget constraints make it difficult forsome provinces or territories toparticipate in cuisine tourisminitiatives.

Availability of market-ready cuisinetourism products is quite limited insome areas.

The non-existent or negative perceptionof cuisine in Canada may make cuisinetourism difficult to promote.

Source: Deneault (2002).

in Ontario, and Travel Country Roads Canada based in Manitoba, relate to culi-nary tourism. Other national initiatives include tourism-related companies, such asFairmont Hotels and Resorts, VIA Rail and Air Canada showcasing Canadian wineand foods on their menus. In marketing Cuisine in Canada, the CTC has a websitelink to TravelCanada.ca that has a rich description of cuisine in each province in thecountry.

In addition to product development, the CTC is also interested in finding moreabout culinary tourists. A number of research reports have been released by the CTCon culinary tourism as part of the work with the Travel and Activities and MotivationSurvey (TAMS), which involved two large-scale surveys (Canada and the USA) withtelephone interviews and mail-back surveys conducted between September of 1999and April 2001. In the USA, 6,405 returned the survey while in Canada, 5,490 returnedthe survey. TAMS was set out to be a comprehensive assessment of travel behaviour

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and motivation. The initial report released in 2001 entitled Wine and Cuisine ProfileReport (CTC 2001b) found that in both countries, the ‘Affluent Mature and SeniorCouples’ were the most likely to be interested in wine and cuisine. Canadians withan interest in vacation activities associated with cuisine and wine were more likelyto be from Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, while Americans werefrom the Pacific Region, South Atlantic and the Middle Atlantic States. A furthertwo research reports were released by the CTC in 2003, entitled Canadian Wine andCulinary Enthusiasts (2003a) and U.S. Wine and Culinary Enthusiasts (2003b), whichexamined in more detail the two markets separately.

At a national level there is also increasing popularity in food television programmesand culinary magazines. Food Network Canada is a 24-hour television channel fo-cusing on food. One programme entitled The Great Canadian Food Show features ahost who travels across Canada, highlighting regional and ethnic foods (Food Net-work Canada 2003). Another programme, entitled ‘The Manic Organic’ features anorganic farmer who supplies restaurants in Toronto, Niagara and Stratford, Ontario.The programme follows the life cycle of his crops from planting to harvesting andcooking (Food Network Canada 2003). Chefs featured in these types of programmesare becoming celebrities and are sought after to appear at culinary events.

Associations such as Cuisine Canada and the Slow Food Movement (as opposedto fast food) are growing across the country. Cuisine Canada is a national alliance ofCanadian culinary professionals. One of their objectives is ‘to foster knowledge andunderstanding of our unique Canadian food history and the multicultural and regionaldiversity of Canadian cuisine’ (Cuisine Canada 2003). The Slow Food Movement alsofocuses in part on protecting unique local cuisine. Their objectives include

increasing consumer awareness, fostering conscious environment-friendlytourism, promoting high quality gastronomic production, protecting artisanalmanufacturing methods and vegetable and animal varieties in danger of ex-tinction and providing taste education to stave off the increasingly aggressiveadvance of food and cultural standardization (Slow Food 2003).

Given the wide diversity available, the paper now turns to highlight various regionalfood products, associations, festivals and events, which form the basis of culinarytourism.

The Maritimes

East Coast cooking has the enduring influences of the British, the Acadians and theLoyalists (Nightingale 1995) and Atlantic seafood has become a recognizable partof the culinary attraction of eastern Canada. Culinary trails cover the Province ofNova Scotia under Tastes of Nova Scotia, a programme highlighted by the CTC as aculinary tourism product for others to model. Tastes of Nova Scotia is an organization

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of independent restaurants and it advertises its regional cuisine on their Internet siteas:

Experience Nova Scotia ’s regional cuisine, choose traditional dishes, such asBlueberry Grunt, Rappie Pie, Oatcakes and Solomon Gundy, which reflect theculinary influence of the Germans on the South Shore, the Acadian or Frenchon the Evangeline Trail or the Scots in Cape Breton. Savour contemporarydishes created to showcase Nova Scotia’s fresh seasonal products, asparagusand rhubarb in the spring, strawberries, tender greens and blueberries in thesummer, and apples and pumpkins to herald in the fall harvests. One cannotforget Nova Scotia meats and poultry, the taste of a locally grown wine and ofcourse, our seafood; mussels, oysters, salmon, haddock, crab, smoked salmon,scallops and the king of the sea . . . lobster (Tastes of Nova Scotia 2003).

Participating restaurants are listed on the Internet site under the following culinarytrails across the province Glooscap Trail (two restaurants), Sunrise Trail (8), CeilidhTrail (3), Cabot Trail (14), Marconi Trail (4), Fleur de lis Trail (2), Marine Drive (2),Metro Halifax (20), Lighthouse Route (16) and Evangeline Trail (11). Each of theculinary trails is described further in terms of food history and available attractions.Restaurants belonging to the organization are required to have six menu items or eightypercent of the menu comprised of food products found in Nova Scotia (MacKenzie1995). Tastes of Nova Scotia is now marketed locally, nationally and internationally(MacKenzie 1995).

A specific attraction in Nova Scotia celebrating the culinary past of the Maritimesis Fortress Louisbourg, a National Historic Site operated by Parks Canada. Foundedin 1713 this French Fortress was reconstructed beginning in 1961. As part of thetourism product staff in period costume prepare and serve food and beverages basedon eighteenth-century traditions and recipes. Offerings range from fine dining atL’Epee Royale to more traditional fair at Hotel de la Marine, originally opened in 1743as a cabaret frequented by fishermen, merchants and soldiers and, today, customersare provided with only a spoon, reflecting the nature of the establishment in theeighteenth century. The Bakery at the fortress also offers bread and desserts based onthe appropriate time period (Fortress Louisbourg Volunteer Association 2003).

The diversity of the Maritime region as a whole is as complex as the history andgeography of the Maritime provinces that make it up, resulting in a diversity offood and potential culinary tourism products. Newfoundland is a sea-centred culturewith its own food, music and vocabulary (Stewart 2000). Until its recent collapsethe province was reliant on the cod fishery (Lewis and Warren 1995). This has beenreplaced by more specialized fishing for tuna, herring, char and mackerel. Shellfishplays a major role in Newfoundland’s wild harvest, including snow crab, scallops,clams, shrimp and lobster (Stewart 2000). Nova Scotia’s culinary influences can betraced to the first French-speaking Acadians, whose cuisine is medieval in style, to the

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Scottish and even to the Germans who were brought over in 1753 to counter the Frenchand Catholic presence (Stewart 2000). The Loyalists who came north from the NewEngland states in 1783 found rich farmland and have influenced New Brunswick’scuisine, bringing dishes such as Yankee bread and Boston baked beans. The provincehosts the Shediac Lobster Festival in July. Finally, there is Prince Edward Island whoseculinary products include lobster, blue mussels, Malpeque oysters and potatoes. Theprovince has a growing aquaculture industry specializing is shellfish (Stewart 2000).While Atlantic seafood has become part of the culinary attraction of eastern Canada,the region offers a wider range of agricultural products that can be linked to potentialculinary tourism products.

Quebec

The roots of Quebec cuisine lie in French country cooking with medieval influ-ences. Similar to the Maritimes, Quebec’s cuisine has always had regional influences(Armstrong 1995). Aubin (2003) argued that there has been a revolution in Quebeccuisine over the last 25 years. The focus is on local products grown and developedin Quebec. Aubin (2003: 159) interviewed Pinard, a celebrity gourmet who indicatedthat ‘[t]his is not French, not Mediterranean, not fusion, but totally Quebecois . . . allthis food was grown here and developed here, it is local. We are eating out of ourland’. This movement has even generated very patriotic sentiments, as indicated bythe same gourmet. ‘Creating a cuisine that celebrates local production and stimulatesit has been the noblest manifestation of Quebec nationalism’ (Aubin 2003: 159).There are now even Quebecois restaurants in Paris, France. La Cuisine Regionaleau Quebec fosters the notion of local. This is a formal association established todevelop relationships between local food producers, chefs, restaurants, hoteliers andthe Ministry of Agriculture. For a restaurant to qualify for membership, 70 percentof the food on the menu must be produced in Quebec and 50 percent must be fromthe local region (Marcotte 1995). In another regional effort, 26 country-style diningestablishments featuring meals using local agricultural products are recognized bythe Federation des agricotours du Quebec.

Culinary tours are being offered around the province. The province of Quebec isdivided into 20 tourist districts and, as part of their marketing efforts, the provincialtourism organization Bonjour Quebec focuses on regional food specialties. Whatfollows is a brief description of a few of these regions. The Monteregie district is madeup of 30 percent orchards and, as a result, the area has become known for its ciders. TheBas-Saint-Laurent region runs along the St Lawrence River and has become knownfor smoked fish, such as salmon, trout, sturgeon and eel. Tourtiere (meat and porkpie) and soupe aux gourganes (broad bean soup) are from Saguenay-Lac-Jean. TheCharlevoix region known for it cheeses is home to the La Route des Saveurs (FlavourTrail), a regional culinary trail and, in the Maurice region, meat from locally raisedbison and ostrich is served (Bonjour Quebec 2003). The Conseil de l’Agriculture et de

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l’Agroalimentaire pour le Developpement de la Region de Quebec has establishedthe Gourmet Route (2003a, 2003b) which crosses the province. The route is focusedon traditional producers who themselves focus on local products. The specialitiesinclude chocolate shops, artisanal cider and spirits, sugar bushes, cheeses, fruits andvegetables, smoked and marinated fish, marinades and jellies, meat and game, andvineyards (Quebec Cargo 2003).

Another product, which has become part of the tourist industry is maple sugar. InQuebec there is the Association des restaurateurs des cabanes a sucre du Quebec inc.(Sugar Shacks in Quebec 2003). There are approximately 400 maple sugar operationsnear the major cities in Quebec open to visitors during the sugar season (late Marchand early April). A visit to cabanes a sucre also means sampling the traditionalfoods, which include pea soup, baked beans, maple cured ham, ‘oreilles de crisse’(fried strips of salt pork), omelettes, and maple-sweetened desserts such as hot mapletaffy served on snow (Bonjour Quebec 2003). Another notable culinary event is the‘SAQ Culinary Arts’ of the Montreal Highlights Festival in Quebec. The MontrealHighlights Festival is a ten-day event celebrating the city’s theatres, orchestras, dancetroupes, museums, restaurants and hotels (Montreal Highlights Festival 2003). Duringthe event, 50 of Montreal’s chefs prepare a Festival Menu as well as offering culinaryactivities such as workshops (Bonjour Quebec 2003).

It is argued that today chefs have given Quebec its own distinct cuisine, withproducts such as foie gras, magret de canard (duck cutlet), white fish caviar fromAbitibi and Quebec ice wine. What is interesting to note is that Bonjour Quebecalso highlights various ethnic cuisines found in Quebec that illustrate the statementthe ‘rich mosaic of international flavours offered in restaurants bears witness to thediversity of cultures that make up Quebec today’ (Bonjour Quebec 2003). This is afurther reflection of the global and local interacting.

Ontario

In an effort to promote Ontario as a food and wine destination, the Provincial Gov-ernment and the industry have been working to develop a strategy. The Ontario WineStrategy is comprised of three documents including (1) Poised for Greatness: AStrategic Framework for Ontario’s Wine Industry, (2) Wine of Ontario: Sales andMarketing Plan and (3) Wine and Culinary Tourism in Ontario Strategy. The lattersuggests that Ontario should be established as a quality wine and culinary tourismdestination for domestic and international markets. Niagara and Toronto have beenidentified in the document as being the primary culinary destinations as outlinedbelow:

� Establish compelling high quality experiences for visitors targeting high yieldvisitors for whom wine and culinary experiences are a lifestyle choice, and whohave a high propensity to travel for such experiences. Different strategies will be

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employed for the Ontario market, the cross-border US market and the longer-haulCanadian and international markets.

� Build on the world class wine making, agricultural and culinary capabilities of theNiagara region, on the diverse and multi-cultural dining opportunities available inToronto, and on the unique cultural and culinary offerings of selected communitiesand destinations in the province.

� Build upon the many complementary tourism attractions and visitor appeals inthese areas of the province. (Economic Planning Group of Canada (EPG) 2002).

Toronto has over 7,000 restaurants (ToDine 2003) and, like most major cities,Toronto is home to ethnic communities in areas such as China Town, Greektownand Little Italy. The annual ‘Krinos Tastes of the Danforth’ is a summer weekendfestival celebrating the Greek community in Toronto, focusing on Greek food andculture and attracting visitors from across Canada and abroad (Tastes of the Danforth2003). In 2003 the tenth anniversary of the event was celebrated with a focus on thereturn of the Olympic games to Athens. Ten years ago approximately 5,000 peopleattended and, in 2003, the number rose to 1.2 million (Verma 2003). While the focusis on Greek food, the area is also home to a variety of ethnic restaurants serving foodfrom all over the world, as the following note from Verma (2003: A3) illustrates,‘Polish perogies, and East Indian samosas were also available’. Caribana, an annualevent hosted by the Caribbean Cultural Committee in Toronto is a 17-day festival thatattracts approximately a million people. One of the aspects of the festival linked toculinary tourism is Tastes of Caribana, where visitors can sample cuisine from thevarious Caribbean nations (Caribana 2003). Toronto is also host to the annual TorontoWine and Cheese Show, a three-day event in March. The slogan of the festival for2004 was ‘A World of Award-winning Wines, Beers, Single Malt Whiskies, SpecialtyFoods & Cheeses’ (Toronto Wine and Cheese 2003). At the 2003 show there werejust over 200 companies exhibiting their products. Tickets for the event are $CDN18,with wine and tasting samples at extra cost.

While the diversity and number of restaurants characterize Toronto, the NiagaraRegion is building its culinary tourism product partly around the wine industry. Oneorganization associated with early developments in the region was Tastes of Niagara.While the organization is currently undergoing restructuring, it is an association ofproducers, processors, chefs, farm markets, distributors, cooking schools, wineries,tour operators and cultural groups. The slogan on the former website for the organi-zation stated ‘Niagara – where New World creativity sparks Old World tradition’.

Picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake, the verdant Niagara Escarpment, and, ofcourse, the magnificent Niagara Falls. From the heart of this romantic land-scape springs not only food and wine to please the most discriminating palate,but also a convivial atmosphere in which to enjoy them. Delicious innovativecuisine prepared from fresh local produce. Award-winning wines made from

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only the finest vinifera grapes. Talented chefs and memorable restaurants whereNorth American flare meets European sophistication. Exciting. Exceptional.Outstanding theatre and colourful festivals enhance Niagara’s cultural experi-ence. When you explore Niagara, you discover more than a place. You discoveran adventure (Tastes of Niagara 2003).

The trend towards culinary tourism in Niagara started in the 1990s when two wineries,Vineland Estates and Cave Spring Cellars, opened restaurants and, since then, fiveother winery restaurants have opened. Still other wineries are into culinary tourismby offering cafes, special menus, meals or private functions. The wineries’ award-winning chefs focus on the best available local produce, such as peaches, pears, rasp-berries, strawberries, vegetables, dairy, livestock and fowl (Fraser 2003a). Restaurantshave begun partnering with area farmers in a seed-to-kitchen approach. For exam-ple, Wyndym Farms in Niagara-on-the-Lake is partnered with Vintage Inns Prince ofWales and Queen’s Landing hotels. The executive chef and farmer meet to discusswhat should be planted and approximately 70 percent of what is grown on the farmis used in the Vintage Inns restaurants (Fraser 2003b). This type of partnership hasproven to be very important in the development of culinary tourism in Niagara (Telfer2000, 2001a, 2001b; Telfer and Hashimoto 2003). The architecture of the wineriesand the nature of the wines being produced also reflect the cultural diversity typicalin Canada. Chateau des Charmes is a French winery with a building designed as aFrench Chateau and Reif Estates produces German-style wines, while DeSousa makesPortugese-style wines. The Niagara Grape & Wine Festival, a major event centredon the harvest of the grapes in the autumn, has also become an important culinaryevent. One of the recommendations of the provincial culinary strategy for Niagarawas to develop a signature event to raise the profile of Niagara on the internationalscene. The Niagara Food and Wine Classic is a three-day culinary event in September,featuring tours of the wineries, tasting receptions, wine and food-pairing seminars,culinary and lifestyle chats, and a wine-makers’ dinner. Celebrity chefs are brought infor the event. Ticket for this event are $CDN500.00 or $US325.00 (Discover Niagara2003).

The diversity of influences is notable in many other areas of Ontario. The Germaninfluence is especially present in the Kitchener–Waterloo region of Ontario wherethere is an annual Oktoberfest celebration attracting approximately 700,000, making itthe largest Oktoberfest outside of Germany (Janiskee 2003). German food often foundat an Oktoberfest includes bratwurst, spanferkel, rollbraten, sauerbraten, schnitzel,sauerkraut, pretzels and strudel (Janiskee 2003). With the strong links to the traditionsof the region, an Ale Trail consisting of six craft breweries was developed, whichfurther established the area as a culinary destination (Plummer et al. 2005). However,as Plummer et al. (2006) discovered with the demise of this Ale Trail, partnershipscan be difficult to maintain.

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Prairie Provinces

Although the Prairie provinces are not in the top three in terms of internationaldestinations in Canada, they are loaded with a variety of festivals and events offering‘western’ dining experiences. Culinary images of the prairie provinces are oftenassociated with fields of wheat, Alberta beef, bison, pemmican, or more recentlySaskatoon berries. Prairie cooking is also associated with the barbecue, which has itsroots in outdoor cooking and communal feasting (Schultz 1995). As Schultz (1995:68) argued, ‘the traditional western meal has always been built around red meat insome form’. In May of 2003, however, a single case of ‘Mad Cow’ disease wasdiscovered which resulted in countries shutting their markets to Canadian beef. Theprairie provinces have suffered especially. As of the summer of 2005, it had costthe industry some $CDN7 billion. The first truckload of Canadian cattle crossedthe border into the USA on July 18, 2005 after a ban of over two years. However,the final legal fight over whether to reopen the border to the USA is still pending(Gorham 2005). The federal government in Canada has had to provide a numberof compensation packages for western beef producers affected by the export ban,including the most recent of CAN$321 million in March of 2005 (Maclean’s 2003;CBC 2005).

The prairies are home to festivals and events tied to the celebration of the western-way of life linked to cowboys, rodeos and agriculture. The Calgary Stampede inAlberta is one of the more famous events in Canada. This ten-day event in Julyis marketed as the ‘Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth’. It attracts over one millionvisitors. The spectacle features a wide range of events including agricultural dis-plays, a First Nations village, rodeo and chuckwagon racing, casino, amusementpark rides, and concerts. To illustrate how foodways are used as visitor attractions,pancake breakfasts are held throughout the event at various locations, with many ofthem free of charge. There is a kitchen theatre where celebrity chefs are featuredcooking with local or western products. Up to eight cooking shows are held dailybefore an audience of 200 (Calgary Stampede 2003). Another large agricultural eventthat also features ‘Prairie Cuisine’ is the Canadian Western Agribition. This week-long event held in November in Regina, Saskatchewan attracts close to 150,000people. The purpose of the week-long event is to showcase and market Canadianagricultural products. There are livestock shows, grain and forage showcases, anagricultural education centre and a rodeo (Agribition 2003). The event also has ashowcase of prairie cuisine and features honey, processed meat and butter and cheesecompetitions.

Festivals celebrating foods from other countries can be found at Winnipeg’s Folklo-rama and Edmonton’s Heritage Days. Folklorama in Winnipeg, Manitoba has grownfrom a single weekend event to a two-week period in midsummer, consisting ofapproximately 40 pavilions located through out the city, each representing one ofWinnipeg’s diverse cultural groups. The pavilions present displays, crafts, dances

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and a sampling of distinctive foods and drinks, generating substantial revenues forparticipants. In 1998, Folklorama attracted more than 425,000 visitors and they servedup to 600,000 meals (Selwood 2003). Another of Winnipeg’s events, Festival du Voy-ager, is the largest annual winter festival in Western Canada, highlighting French–Canadian, Metis and the fur-trading heritage. The event features food favourites suchas tortiere, pea soup, pork and beans and bannock, while more recent additions in-clude Beaver tails, maple syrup and poutine (Selwood 2003). In Manitoba there area number of developments promoting local products and regional cuisine. Mani-toba Agriculture and Food offers a new Regional Cuisine Contact Directory on theInternet. The directory offers a new market for local producers by putting them incontact with Winnipeg chefs. It is suggested that ‘there is a growing demand forindigenous and local produce and products which can serve to promote tourism byshowcasing Manitoba’s regional cuisine’ (Manitoba Agriculture and Food 2003).The Tastes of Manitoba festival held in July features 30 of Manitoba’s ‘great’ restau-rants and attracts 50,000 visitors (Selwood 2003), while the Manitoba Food Fair inWinnipeg is one of the city’s more popular annual visitor attractions (Selwood 2003).Manitoba is also home to Travel Country Roads Canada, a Canadian Tourism Com-mission Product Club focused in part on the rural experience (Travel Country Roads2003).

British Columbia

British Columbia is home to ‘West Coast Cuisine’ (2003) which is influenced by avariety of sources, including the available seafood – of which Pacific salmon is thebest known – and the influence of Asian cultures who have settled in the province(Johnson 1995). The diversity of regions within the province covers small islands tothe multicultural city of Vancouver to interior mountains and the Okanagan Valley.The diversity of what is available is illustrated in a culinary tour organized by Routesto Learning Canada (formerly Elderhostel Canada). They offer an eight-day tourentitled ‘West Coast Cuisine: From Ocean to City to Organic Farms’. The focusof the tour is to learn about locally produced ingredients and how they are usedto prepare a variety of dishes. Highlights include greater Vancouver, Nanaimo andVictoria, with various field trips in each main location. The Vancouver portion focuson seafood, vegetables, fruits and berries and imported ethnic ingredients. As notedin the introduction, Vancouver is one of the top three preferred destinations for newimmigrants, including a large population of Chinese descent resulting in a well-established China town (Wong 1995). Visitors are given cooking demonstrations fromvarious cultural approaches and visit Granville Island Market. Granville Island is asuccessfully redeveloped market combined with tourist shops, bookstores, a hotel,a theatre, and a variety of restaurants (Telfer 2002b; Granville Island 2003). It isadvertised as one of Vancouver’s culinary hotspots, with everything from ethnic fastfood to fresh seafood and game prepared in innovative restaurants (Granville Island

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2003). In Nanaimo visitors learn about custom gourmet seafood manufacturing, visita winery and sample the famous Nanaimo bar (chocolate dessert). In Victoria visitorsare exposed to the British influence and take high tea which has become a major touristevent on the island (Routes to Learning 2003). Afternoon tea at the Farimont EmpressHotel in Victoria, with the house blend tea together with raisin scones, double-Jerseycream and strawberry preserves, has been served for close to 50 years. Reservationsone to two weeks in advance are recommended (Fairmont 2005). The Gourmet Trailof First Island Tours is another example of specific culinary tours founded in 1998and is centred on five inns along the coast whose chefs are committed to regionalcuisine and wine (Hastings House 2003).

Similar to Niagara, British Columbia is one of the major wine- and fruit-producingregions in the country. There are three wine regions in British Columbia, includingOkanagan and Similkameen, Vancounver coastal islands and the Fraser Valley. Ofthe three, Okanagan and Similkameen is the largest in terms of size and numberof wineries, with 50 wineries. Wine and food tourism events have been developedyear-round to promote the region and the products. Table 4 presents highlights of thewine festivals calendar by season. The growing wine industry has become part of theculinary attraction of the province.

The North

Much of the discussion of this paper has centred on the culinary influences of im-migrants to Canada. Equally important are the culinary contributions of Canada’sFirst Nations people. Their contributions in terms of culinary tourism are central tothe promotional material for Nunavut. Northern cuisine is featured on the Internetsite for Nunavut Tourism. Also referred to as ‘country foods’, it includes items suchas caribou, muskox, Arctic char, scallops from Cumberland Sound, turbot from theBaffin region and Greenland shrimp. Northern cuisine appetizers include maktaaq,which is the outer layer of the skin of whales (beluga and narwal) served raw. Touristsare also invited to attend community feasts, which feature raw and boiled caribou,seal and frozen char. Nunavut Tourism warns those tourists who have lived an urbanlifestyle to be prepared for a culture shock and to also to remember that the elders areserved first (Nunavut Tourism 2003).

Northern cuisine is also featured at the Annual Arctic Food Celebration held inconjunction with the Nunavut Fair in Iqaluit at the beginning of March. NunavutTourism also promotes sport fishing and sport hunting. This perhaps represents a verydifferent aspect of culinary tourism and is not found in the preliminary list of culinarytourism activities developed by the CTC, as outlined in Table 2. It raises an interestingquestions as to whether culinary tourism can be extended into the area of sport fishingand hunting where the fish or animals are consumed after the hunt. The animalsthat are available for hunting include polar bear, muskox, Barrenground grizzly bear,wolves and wolverines, Atlantic walrus and caribou (Nunavut Tourism 2003).

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Table 4. Highlights from the 2003–2004 Okanagan Wine Festivals calendar of events

AutumnBlind Wine Tasting at the Blue GatorSeminar: Mixing Varieties . . . What Kind of Wine Does it Create?Kelowna Consumer TastingSeminar: Blends . . . Let’s Make Our Own WineSeminar: Wine – From The Ground UpWinemasters’ Luncheon & Awards23rd Annual Grand Finale Consumer Tasting Presented by HSBCSeminar: The Art of Pairing Cheese & Wine

Winter/IcewineThe Art of Pairing Cheese and WineDessert Wine – ‘The Late Great Wines of the Vineyard’To Gris or Not to Gris . . . There is No QuestionWinemasters’ DinnersThe Blind BluesThe 1st Annual Icewine Festival Orienteering HuntMagic of Icewine & Dessert SeminarThe Sun Peaks Progressive TastingMedal Winners Tutored TastingThe Icewine Sunday Brunch

SpringWhite or Red? More to it than ColourNinth Annual Spring Consumer TastingBacchanaliaMasters of Food & WineSeminar: Wine Component and Imbalance EvaluationWine – From the Ground Up

SummerArt of Pairing Cheese & WineWinemasters DinnersWineing BluesThe Progressive Tasting

Source: Okamagan Wine Festivals (2003).

Conclusions

It has been argued that it is increasingly difficult for national identity to be basedon similarities within a singular culture in this era of migration, but rather it shouldbe based on differences among the multiple cultures within the nation. Canadiannational identity is built upon cultures and sub-cultures of various ethnic groups,which immigrants have brought in to Canada from their original countries, and thesecultures are shaped and transformed by the geography and climate of the places wherethey settled as well the interactions between groups. As a country of immigrants, theCanadian government is aware of the importance of multiculturalism in the formationof Canadian identity and the Canadian Multiculturalism Act protects it.

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Multiculturalism also affects the Canadian ways of life, in particular, gastronomictraditions. Traditional culinary skills and repertoires from the Old World broughtin by immigrants meet the challenges of the availability of ingredients in the NewWorld, although global logistic systems nowadays can provide international ingredi-ents. Canada’s diverse geographical regions from Northern lands to prairies to oceansproduce food and drink ingredients unique to the region. As noted by Deneault (2002),Canadians are taking part in an international movement towards the development ofregional cuisine using indigenous or locally cultivated products. Using available pro-duce, Canadians with imagination and innovation have created their own style ofcuisine, which is beyond a simple fusion or variation of dishes from the Old World.Rather than promoting a single Canadian cuisine, which infers a single style, it is bet-ter to promote Cuisine in Canada, which signifies the diversity of available products(Deneault 2002).

Canada as one of the favourite international tourism destinations is renowned forits natural scenery. However, as argued, most successful destinations have additionalfeatures such as ‘heritage’ or ‘cultural’ attractions. The CTC has begun developingcuisine as a new tourism product, knowing that one third of the average tourist ex-penditure goes into meals. In the Old World, for example, China, Italy, France andPortugal have been successfully selling gourmet tourism or gastronomy tourism foryears. The concept of a culinary tourism product has been conceived as a new brandof Canadian tourism. It is indeed a new challenge for Canadian tourism as it has anestablished image of ‘natural’ attractions and outdoor activities, and it is not simpleto add a new feature or brand. Although Canada is known for its agri- and aquacul-tural products, Canadian cuisine is not widely known and, even among Canadians,the definition of Canadian cuisine has been debated. It is also challenging to competeagainst well-established gourmet destinations in the Old World.

As highlighted in the centre of Figure 1, the development of Cuisine in Canada ismade up of a complex set of variables. With immigrants arriving from all over theworld, a rich blend of culinary traditions is developing rapidly. Chefs are also takingadvantage of the regional differences in product availability, fusing these complex setsof variables to offer customers something unique yet Canadian in its makeup. Theseproducts are displayed at restaurants but also at festivals and special events as well asthrough regional food associations. It has been argued that under the brand Cuisinein Canada, sub-brands could be developed based on national identity, influencedby global immigration, such as ‘where foods of the world come together’ and alsovarious sub-brands could be developed linked to regional identity tied to place. Thestrength of cuisine in Canada is its diversity and that should be promoted. Makingstrong links to regional products will help solidify the image. This paper has notedthe various influences on culinary traditions and culinary tourism products in theregions and sub-regions of the Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairie Provinces,British Columbia and the North. Quebec, for example, is different in terms of theproducts available, but also for the French culture. The situation in the north raises

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Figure 1. Marketing cuisine in Canada.

the interesting question, what should be included in culinary tourism activities. InNunavut can hunting and fishing activities before consumption be considered to bepart of the culinary experience? Or should culinary tourism be defined only in terms ofthe visitation and experiences at dining facilities, agri- and aquacultural institutions,wineries and distilleries, and food stalls at festivals and events?

The bottom half of Figure 1 focuses on marketing. In their development strategy,the CTC developed four recommendations for marketing Canada as a culinary des-tination and these include: developing national, regional and sector brand images,targeting the US and domestic markets, creating an awareness and raising the profileof cuisine tourism in tourism marketplaces and developing an adequate bank of culi-nary images for use in CTC marketing programmes (Deneault 2002). As illustrated inother studies in the Niagara Region (Telfer 2001a, 2001b), another important aspectof developing the culinary tourism product and marketing it will be the developmentof partnerships and the commitment of funds to help link the smaller culinary tourismestablishments/products. The CTC has also stressed the importance of partnershipsat all levels and between government and industry as well as combining culinarytourism with other tourism products (Deneault 2002). Programmes such as Tastes ofNova Scotia and Tastes of Niagara are potential models of regional partnership ini-tiatives for others to copy. However, as Plummer et al. (2006) have illustrated, thesepartnerships can be difficult to maintain. Despite the challenges, it is suggested inFigure 1 that partnerships are key to developing marketing strategies between all ofthe sectors but also that these partnerships link back to the culinary tourism productslinked to both location and culture.

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Notes on Contributors

Atsuko Hashimoto is Associate Professor in the Department of Recreation andLeisure Studies at Brock University, Canada. Her areas of research include cross-cultural studies in tourism and the environment, Japanese tourists and culinarytourism.David J. Telfer is Associate Professor in the Department of Recreation and LeisureStudies at Brock University, Canada. His areas of research include tourism and de-velopment theories, backward economic linkages of tourism and culinary tourism.

Resume: Vendre le tourisme culinaire canadien: creer une marque globaleet regionale

On associe souvent le Canada avec l’environnement naturel pour creer une identite qui attire lestouristes. On associe aussi la societe canadienne, cependant, a une directive de pluri culturalismeet de diversite. Des organismes tels que la Commission Canadienne du Tourisme reconnaissentl’interet croissant dans l’art culinaire et commencent a promouvoir le Canada comme destina-tion pour le tourisme culinaire. Un des problemes auxquels sont confrontes ces organismes estl’absence d’une cuisine canadienne typique. Les traditions culinaires du Canada ont ete influenceespar une longue histoire d’immigration ainsi que par l’existence de produits regionaux. Les chefsont melange traditions culturelles et produits locaux pour creer de nouvelles formes et styles decuisines. Les efforts de differentes regions geographiques du pays soulignent la riche diversite quiexiste pour le tourisme culinaire au Canada, qui a ete influencee non seulement par des forces glob-ales mais aussi par des forces regionales mais que l’on peut regrouper sous la marque ‘CuisineCanadienne’.

Mots-cles: Canada, tourisme culinaire, identite, image, marque

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Zusammenfassung: Das Verkaufen des kulinarischen Kanada-Tourismus:Markengebung fur das globale und regionale Produkt

In Bezug auf die Anziehung von Touristen wird die kanadische Identitat haufig mit dem Natur-raum assoziiert. Demgegenuber assoziiert sich die kanadische Gesellschaft selbst jedoch mit denGrundsatzen des Multikulturalismus und der Pluralitat. Einrichtungen wie die Canadian TourismCommission (CTC) haben das wachsende Interesse an der Kulinarik erkannt und damit begonnen,Kanada als ein kulinarisches Tourismusziel zu propagieren. Eine der Herausforderungen, den sichEinrichtungen wie die CTC dabei gegenuber sehen, ist das Definitionsproblem, was kanadische Kuli-narik ist. Die kanadische Kuchentradition ist sowohl von einer langen Einwanderungsgeschichte alsauch von der regionalen Rohstoffverfugbarkeit gepragt. Kuchenchefs haben dabei unterschiedlicheKulturtraditionen und lokale Rohstoffe zu neuen Kochstilen zusammen gefugt. Dieser Beitrag stelltBemuhungen unterschiedlicher Landesregionen vor, welche den Einfluß der reichen Pluralitat aufdie kanadische Kulinarik veranschaulichen, die nicht nur durch globale sondern auch regionaleKrafte geformt wurde und damit unter dem Oberbegriff der, kanadischen Kuche’ als Marke bewor-ben werden kann.

Stichworter: Kanada, kulinarischer Tourismus, Identitat, Image, Markengebung

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