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

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Selling Canadian Culinary Tourism: Branding the Global and the Regional Product
Atsuko Hashimoto & David J. Telfer
a a a

Department of Recreation & Leisure Studies , Brock University , Ontario, Canada Published online: 20 Aug 2006.

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

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Tourism Geographies Vol. 8, No. 1, 3155, February 2006

Selling Canadian Culinary Tourism: Branding the Global and the Regional Product
ATSUKO HASHIMOTO & DAVID J. TELFER
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Department of Recreation & Leisure Studies, Brock University, Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT Canadian identity with respect to attracting tourists is often associated with the natural environment. Canadian society is, however, also associated with the policy of multiculturalism and diversity. Agencies such as the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) have recognized the growing interest in cuisine and have begun to promote Canada as a culinary tourism destination. One of the challenges facing agencies such as the CTC is that there is not an easily denable Canadian cuisine. Canadas culinary traditions have been inuenced by a long history of immigration, together with regional product availability. Chefs have 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 diversity available in Canadian culinary tourism inuenced, not only by global but also by regional forces, 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 accessibility, affordable tour packages, good weather and, in addition, heritage and/or natural features (Butler 1998). Constructing the image of a tourist destination is manifold. It is in a sense a creation of a certain idea of landscape, a myth, a vision . . . in an actual place . . . (Schama 1996: 61). National or federal governments, national and regional tourist ofces, the tourism industry and investors, using advertisements and promotional events, create an image and a brand for tourist destinations. Created images may be a true reection of history, nature and tradition or a fantasized or even distorted reection 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 part of the scenery and the representation may become stronger than reality. Therefore,
Correspondence Address: Atsuko Hashimoto, Department of Recreation & Leisure Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada L2S 3A1. Fax: (905) 984-4843; Tel.: (905) 688-5550 ext. 4367; Email: atsuko.hashimoto@brocku.ca ISSN 1461-6688 Print/1470-1340 Online /06/01/0003125 DOI: 10.1080/14616680500392465
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2006 Taylor & Francis

32 A. Hashimoto & D. J. Telfer choosing the image of a destination (or a nation) requires considerable calculation for the short and long term. In Canada, the concept of branding has moved into public policy discussions on how to brand Canada in todays global world (Israel 2003). The discussion revolves around how to create and sustain an image of the country that is both appealing and true, an image that attracts outsiders, creates interest and produces a willingness to do business and to partner with Canada in shared ventures be they political or economic (Israel 2003: 3). There are a number of images, which are typical representations of Canada (Israel 2003). These include Canadas natural beauty and size, images of the Rocky Mountains, the expanse of the Prairies and the ruggedness of the Atlantic coastline. Canada is also presented as a modern state with cutting-edge technology and science. Canada is 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 that immigration, which is seldom mentioned, should be included in the message. This is a unique aspect of Canada as no other developed country takes in as many immigrants per capita and, as an extension of this, there is the change of pace in Canadas social and cultural transformation (Israel 2003). The decision to include immigration in the image surrounding Canada would establish Canadas unique place among nations and brand Canada as profoundly as the countrys physical landscape (Israel 2003). Within his argument, Israel focused on identity and how the country wishes to be perceived or marketed. While he stressed the importance of immigration he also acknowledged images of regional differences primarily based on physical geography. Theses differences dictate, in part, the resulting availability of local products, affecting the food tourism product. Together these two forces, the global and the regional have helped forge the culinary traditions of Canada, which are becoming recognized as a potential lure for tourists. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between identity and marketing cuisine in Canada. The paper will begin by examining the nature of Canadian identity as it is linked to food, both from the perspective of being a nation of immigrants and from the perspective of being made up of distinct regions. Selected cases of regional food products, tours and special events are then presented in the context of identifying potential branding strategies for culinary tourism in Canada. This sample illustrates not only the importance of how a region can be branded in terms of culinary products but also how global inuences are at work at the more local or regional level. The paper will nish with suggestions on how to brand Canada as a culinary destination 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 based on a singular culture within the state boundary has been challenged. The traditional

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notion claims that national identity stems from peoples habitual ways of working in collaboration and prediscursive knowledge, however the ausseren habitus of immigrants and foreigners impedes the formation of a monoculture national identity (Calhoun 1995). With todays population migration, nations such as Canada and the UK have moved away from the traditional notion of the state with a singular culture and rather their multiculturalism has become a foundation of their national identity. Foucault, Derrida and other post-modernists advocated the signicance 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, various ethnic mores and habitus. Canadas multiculturalism permeates through a range of social activities. For example, the vision statement for the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) (2001a: 2) stated that Canada will be the premier four-season destination to connect with nature and to experience diverse cultures and communities. The document governing cultural diversity is the Canadian Multiculturalism Act. Table 1 contains the Multicultural Policy set out within the Act. The rst two items from Table 1 summarize the nature of the Act. First, all members 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 reects the cultural and racial diversity of Canadian society and acknowledges the freedom of all members of Canadian society to preserve, enhance and share their cultural heritage; (b) recognize and promote the understanding that multiculturalism is a fundamental characteristic of the Canadian heritage and identity and that it provides an invaluable resource in the shaping of Canadas future; (c) promote the full and equitable participation of individuals and communities of all origins in the continuing evolution and shaping of all aspects of Canadian society and assist them in the elimination of any barrier to that participation; (d ) recognize the existence of communities whose members share a common origin and their 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 of Canada to be both respectful and inclusive of Canadas multicultural character; (g ) promote the understanding and creativity that arise from the interaction between individuals and communities of different origins; (h ) foster the recognition and appreciation of the diverse cultures of Canadian society and promote the reection and the evolving expressions of those cultures; (i ) preserve and enhance the use of languages other than English and French, while strengthening the status and use of the ofcial languages of Canada; and ( j ) advance multiculturalism throughout Canada in harmony with the national commitment to the ofcial languages of Canada.
Source: Department of Justice Canada (2003).

34 A. Hashimoto & D. J. Telfer their culture and, secondly, that multiculturalism is a fundamental characteristic of Canadian heritage and identity. As James (1995) noted, from its beginnings, Canada has been settled by peoples of different ethnicities, languages and subcultures, from the rst Aboriginal groups who themselves are a very diverse population, to the Europeans and later to immigrants from all over the world. James (1995) argued that what makes Canada unique is that meaning is given to ethnic groups, which relates to their national or ancestral origins (e.g. Italian, African, Asian, etc.) and that this is recognized in the multicultural policy. Meanwhile there is extensive debate as to how well the policy has worked and to what extent cultural assimilation occurs (James 1995; Day 2000), and the fact that the province of Qu ebec has come close to separating from the rest of Canada. Statistics from the 2001 Census, Elections Canada and the 2001 General Social Survey illustrate the complexity and diversity of Canadian society (Treble and Wickens 2003). Eighteen percent of the population is born outside of 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 in 73 percent of new arrivals in the 1990s. Toronto has 62 ethnic groups whose numbers are 10,000 people or more and also has 15 ethnic groups with more than 100,000 people. Dened as a dynamic and complex set of values, beliefs, norms patterns of thinking, styles of communication, linguistic expressions and ways of interpreting and interacting with the world (James 1995: 2), culture is therefore strongly linked to the foodways of a people (Meigs 1997). Given the diversity that makes up Canada, it is difcult to market a single Canadian cuisine. Canadian culture and therefore its food are also inuenced from the outside through international media (James 1995). In fact, Scarpato and Daniele (Anon. in Scarpato and Daniele 2003: 303) discussed new global cuisines and referred to the denition as reported in the US magazine Bon Appetit, call it multicultural, crosscultural, intercontinental, fusion or world cuisine it is whats happening in food today. Creative cooks are combining styles, techniques, ingredients and avours from every corner of the globe, often in a single dish. Stereotypes do, however, exist about food in Canada, often tied to a specic product. Maple syrup and smoked salmon are two such products that can be found in most international departure lounges of airports as last-minute souvenirs for tourists. Some food and drink products through mass media do tap into the formation or reinforcement of Canadian identity. In an advertisement promoting Canadian magazines, the Canadian Magazine Publishers Association (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 another advertisement, which received considerable attention in 2000, the Molson brewing company created what became for some, a very patriotic ad. The advertisement for one of their beers pokes fun at the stereotypes that people have of Canada and Canadians and also sets the country apart as being distinct from the USA. One phrase which points 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 potato chip company, is currently running a Tastes of Canada competition to help name a new line of potato chips in association with various regions across the country. Existing avours include Wild Stampede BBQ (Calgary, Alberta in the west is famous for their stampede and barbeques) and P.E.I. Loaded Baked Potato (Prince Edward Island in the east is famous for potatoes). Customers are asked to vote on the companys Internet site to help select the next avour and have the choice of Cape Breton Sea Salt, Toronto College Street Pizza, Montreal Marche Jean-Talon Herb and Garlic or Whistler Cool Dill (Markusoff 2003). On a more serious note, Canadians are taking part in an international movement towards the development of regional cuisine using indigenous or locally cultivated products. Products such as Atlantic seafood and Alberta beef are culinary attractions; however, there is increasing use of specialized products such as Saskatoon berries, Qu ebec cheeses and Arctic muskox (Deneault 2002). Canada has developed several culinary-orientated festivals drawing large numbers, and tours operators are beginning to package culinary products. In examining Canadian culinary history, Vincent (2002: 48) stated that over the years, our savoury and succulent gastronomic history has been inuenced by new technologies, changing economic conditions, multicultural traditions, nutritional developments and, of course the riches and scarcities of the land and sea. This last statement reects the importance of the region in terms of food product availability and will be explored later. The region is also important in terms of identity. Bell and Valentine (1997) drew on the work of Crang (1995), who advocated that regional cuisines are invented traditions. They put forward the argument that regional cuisines are invested and reinvested with meaning and often with vehement local patriotism. Cultural practices such as food preparation and consumption are important in marking regional identity. Food products become identied 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 on being a nation of immigrants. Branding is a way of increasing efciency of marketing and 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 brand associations 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 that branding 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 be branded as a place where foods of the world come together. There is also potential to brand 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

36 A. Hashimoto & D. J. Telfer the attributes of the food, wine and tourism products of a given place. One widely cited example is the use of appellations for wine areas signifying that the wine comes from a specic region, such as Burgundy. There is a growing movement to protect other regional food and drink products within the European Union. Bottled water and cheese are other examples of products that can be tied to a specic region (Hall 2002). Hall et al. (2003) cited the examples of food-related promotions, such as The New Zealand Way and Pure Ireland, so that places can become brands and hold signicant brand values and therefore, place has signicant importance as intellectual property. It is becoming evident that food wine and tourism industries rely on regional and national branding for market leverage and promotion (Hall et al. 2003). This leaves the question then, what is Canadian cuisine? Hluchy (2003) argued that Canadian cuisine is a medley of local and ethnic avours. She suggested that wild food, local food, seasonal food this is the mantra of the chefs, producers and foodies who are establishing a distinctive Canadian cuisine (Hluchy 2003: 69). If that is a broad denition of Canadian cuisine, regionality, localization and seasonal availability of food ingredients vary from one location to another across the country. The Geography of Canadian Cuisine In a link to branding, Stewart (2000: 13) dened Canadian cuisine in terms of celebrating our magnicent differences, our roots and our ethnicity. Its about possibilities and how as a people continue to welcome immigrants from all over the world and in doing so permanently enrich our food ways. Its about creating the best from our local ingredients, then selling it to the world. Its about branding ourselves Canadian and giving our producers an unmistakable edge that no other nation can emulate. In its report for developing Canadian cuisine tourism, the CTC noted the difculties in dening Canadian cuisine and rather uses the term cuisine in Canada, which signies the diversity of available product (Deneault 2002). Canada has approximately 63,500 restaurants and Canadians themselves spend CAN$39 billion annually in restaurants, eating out on average 4.7 times a week (Fick and Vincent 2002). Culinary tourism covers 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 activities from across Canada. The tour will begin at the national level, then move east to west and north covering the Maritimes, Qu ebec, Ontario, the Prairie Provinces, British Columbia and the north. While some regions are more easily identiable with a general type of cuisine, it is important to note there are distinct sub-regions in terms of cuisine styles and available products and that there is also cross over between the regions. From the First Nations People to immigrants from around the world, people have 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 Canadas many renowned ne restaurants/inns Farm vacations Fruit picking Lobster/oyster/mussels hauling Lobster suppers Tasting/buying packaged local products/farmers 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

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Source: Deneault (2002).

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complexity is found in an investigation by Fick and Vincent (2002). A curried chickpea potato burrito ordered from a caf e on Torontos College Street had ingredients from ve Canadian provinces and eleven other countries. Ingredients such as coconut came from tropical climates, many of the vegetables came from farms less than one hours drive from the restaurant. National Knowing that tourists generally spend on average one third of their travel expenses on food, and having multicultural cuisine and regional variations in food and drink products at hand, conceiving the idea of highlighting cuisine as a tourist attraction may appear straightforward. However, the implementation is not that simple. In developing a national cuisine tourism strategy, the CTC hosted Regional Round Tables from October 1999 to May 2001 in St Johns (Newfoundland), Charlottetown (P.E.I.), Vancouver (B.C.), Niagara Falls (Ontario), Saskatoon (Saskatchewan), Winnipeg (Manitoba), Edmonton (Alberta) and Montreal (Qu ebec). The aim of the Round Tables was to gather representatives from the food and travel industry to explore developing Canada as a culinary destination. The National Tourism and Cuisine Forum was held in Halifax in June of 2001 and Acquiring a taste for cuisine tourism: A product 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 National Tourism and Cuisine Database accessible over the Internet (MacDonald 2001) comprised of people and organizations actively promoting and developing Canadian cuisine. Table 3 presents a summary of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis of cuisine tourism as identied by the CTC. In furthering product development, the CTC also released a how to guide for developing a culinary tourism product in 2003 (CTC 2003c). The CTC also developed the Product Club program, providing assistance for small and medium-sized enterprises to co-operate and develop unique products (see Telfer 2002a). 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 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. Opportunities Work with organizations (Tastes of Niagara/Nova Scotia) to develop packages. Expand beyond local/regional products to develop cross-Canada products. Promote local foods to tourists by working with the industry and producers for export-ready products. Increase cuisine and wine promotional activities and partnerships. Threats Budget constraints make it difcult for some provinces or territories to participate in cuisine tourism initiatives. Availability of market-ready cuisine tourism products is quite limited in some areas. The non-existent or negative perception of cuisine in Canada may make cuisine tourism difcult to promote.

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Weaknesses International perception of cuisine in Canada is weak. No clearly dened style of cooking or food that can be communicated easily to consumers. No national organizations that focus on developing cuisine as a tourism product. Relatively few specic culinary tourism packages. Public and private sectors need to form partnerships for cuisine tourism to grow. CTC needs more information on available products to market internationally.
Source: Deneault (2002).

in Ontario, and Travel Country Roads Canada based in Manitoba, relate to culinary tourism. Other national initiatives include tourism-related companies, such as Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, VIA Rail and Air Canada showcasing Canadian wine and foods on their menus. In marketing Cuisine in Canada, the CTC has a website link to TravelCanada.ca that has a rich description of cuisine in each province in the country. In addition to product development, the CTC is also interested in nding more about culinary tourists. A number of research reports have been released by the CTC on culinary tourism as part of the work with the Travel and Activities and Motivation Survey (TAMS), which involved two large-scale surveys (Canada and the USA) with telephone interviews and mail-back surveys conducted between September of 1999 and April 2001. In the USA, 6,405 returned the survey while in Canada, 5,490 returned the 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 Prole Report (CTC 2001b) found that in both countries, the Afuent Mature and Senior Couples were the most likely to be interested in wine and cuisine. Canadians with an interest in vacation activities associated with cuisine and wine were more likely to be from Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, while Americans were from the Pacic Region, South Atlantic and the Middle Atlantic States. A further two research reports were released by the CTC in 2003, entitled Canadian Wine and Culinary Enthusiasts (2003a) and U.S. Wine and Culinary Enthusiasts (2003b), which examined in more detail the two markets separately. At a national level there is also increasing popularity in food television programmes and culinary magazines. Food Network Canada is a 24-hour television channel focusing on food. One programme entitled The Great Canadian Food Show features a host who travels across Canada, highlighting regional and ethnic foods (Food Network Canada 2003). Another programme, entitled The Manic Organic features an organic farmer who supplies restaurants in Toronto, Niagara and Stratford, Ontario. The programme follows the life cycle of his crops from planting to harvesting and cooking (Food Network Canada 2003). Chefs featured in these types of programmes are becoming celebrities and are sought after to appear at culinary events. Associations such as Cuisine Canada and the Slow Food Movement (as opposed to fast food) are growing across the country. Cuisine Canada is a national alliance of Canadian culinary professionals. One of their objectives is to foster knowledge and understanding of our unique Canadian food history and the multicultural and regional diversity of Canadian cuisine (Cuisine Canada 2003). The Slow Food Movement also focuses in part on protecting unique local cuisine. Their objectives include increasing consumer awareness, fostering conscious environment-friendly tourism, promoting high quality gastronomic production, protecting artisanal manufacturing methods and vegetable and animal varieties in danger of extinction and providing taste education to stave off the increasingly aggressive advance of food and cultural standardization (Slow Food 2003). Given the wide diversity available, the paper now turns to highlight various regional food products, associations, festivals and events, which form the basis of culinary tourism. The Maritimes East Coast cooking has the enduring inuences of the British, the Acadians and the Loyalists (Nightingale 1995) and Atlantic seafood has become a recognizable part of the culinary attraction of eastern Canada. Culinary trails cover the Province of Nova Scotia under Tastes of Nova Scotia, a programme highlighted by the CTC as a culinary tourism product for others to model. Tastes of Nova Scotia is an organization

40 A. Hashimoto & D. J. Telfer of independent restaurants and it advertises its regional cuisine on their Internet site as: Experience Nova Scotia s regional cuisine, choose traditional dishes, such as Blueberry Grunt, Rappie Pie, Oatcakes and Solomon Gundy, which reect the culinary inuence of the Germans on the South Shore, the Acadian or French on the Evangeline Trail or the Scots in Cape Breton. Savour contemporary dishes created to showcase Nova Scotias fresh seasonal products, asparagus and rhubarb in the spring, strawberries, tender greens and blueberries in the summer, and apples and pumpkins to herald in the fall harvests. One cannot forget Nova Scotia meats and poultry, the taste of a locally grown wine and of course, 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 culinary trails across the province Glooscap Trail (two restaurants), Sunrise Trail (8), Ceilidh Trail (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 the culinary 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 eighty percent of the menu comprised of food products found in Nova Scotia (MacKenzie 1995). Tastes of Nova Scotia is now marketed locally, nationally and internationally (MacKenzie 1995). A specic attraction in Nova Scotia celebrating the culinary past of the Maritimes is Fortress Louisbourg, a National Historic Site operated by Parks Canada. Founded in 1713 this French Fortress was reconstructed beginning in 1961. As part of the tourism product staff in period costume prepare and serve food and beverages based on eighteenth-century traditions and recipes. Offerings range from ne dining at ee Royale to more traditional fair at H LEp otel de la Marine, originally opened in 1743 as a cabaret frequented by shermen, merchants and soldiers and, today, customers are provided with only a spoon, reecting the nature of the establishment in the eighteenth century. The Bakery at the fortress also offers bread and desserts based on the appropriate time period (Fortress Louisbourg Volunteer Association 2003). The diversity of the Maritime region as a whole is as complex as the history and geography of the Maritime provinces that make it up, resulting in a diversity of food and potential culinary tourism products. Newfoundland is a sea-centred culture with its own food, music and vocabulary (Stewart 2000). Until its recent collapse the province was reliant on the cod shery (Lewis and Warren 1995). This has been replaced by more specialized shing for tuna, herring, char and mackerel. Shellsh plays a major role in Newfoundlands wild harvest, including snow crab, scallops, clams, shrimp and lobster (Stewart 2000). Nova Scotias culinary inuences can be traced to the rst 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 French and Catholic presence (Stewart 2000). The Loyalists who came north from the New England states in 1783 found rich farmland and have inuenced New Brunswicks cuisine, bringing dishes such as Yankee bread and Boston baked beans. The province hosts the Shediac Lobster Festival in July. Finally, there is Prince Edward Island whose culinary products include lobster, blue mussels, Malpeque oysters and potatoes. The province has a growing aquaculture industry specializing is shellsh (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 potential culinary tourism products.

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Qu ebec The roots of Qu ebec cuisine lie in French country cooking with medieval inuences. Similar to the Maritimes, Qu ebecs cuisine has always had regional inuences (Armstrong 1995). Aubin (2003) argued that there has been a revolution in Qu ebec cuisine over the last 25 years. The focus is on local products grown and developed in Qu ebec. Aubin (2003: 159) interviewed Pinard, a celebrity gourmet who indicated that [t]his is not French, not Mediterranean, not fusion, but totally Qu ebecois . . . all this food was grown here and developed here, it is local. We are eating out of our land. This movement has even generated very patriotic sentiments, as indicated by the same gourmet. Creating a cuisine that celebrates local production and stimulates it has been the noblest manifestation of Qu ebec nationalism (Aubin 2003: 159). There are now even Qu ebecois restaurants in Paris, France. La Cuisine R egionale au Qu ebec fosters the notion of local. This is a formal association established to develop relationships between local food producers, chefs, restaurants, hoteliers and the Ministry of Agriculture. For a restaurant to qualify for membership, 70 percent of the food on the menu must be produced in Qu ebec and 50 percent must be from the local region (Marcotte 1995). In another regional effort, 26 country-style dining establishments featuring meals using local agricultural products are recognized by the F ed eration des agricotours du Qu ebec. Culinary tours are being offered around the province. The province of Qu ebec is divided into 20 tourist districts and, as part of their marketing efforts, the provincial tourism organization Bonjour Qu ebec focuses on regional food specialties. What follows is a brief description of a few of these regions. The Mont er egie district is made up of 30 percent orchards and, as a result, the area has become known for its ciders. The Bas-Saint-Laurent region runs along the St Lawrence River and has become known for smoked sh, such as salmon, trout, sturgeon and eel. Tourti` ere (meat and pork pie) and soupe aux gourganes (broad bean soup) are from Saguenay-Lac-Jean. The Charlevoix region known for it cheeses is home to the La Route des Saveurs (Flavour Trail), a regional culinary trail and, in the Maurice region, meat from locally raised bison and ostrich is served (Bonjour Qu ebec 2003). The Conseil de lAgriculture et de

42 A. Hashimoto & D. J. Telfer lAgroalimentaire pour le D eveloppement de la R egion de Qu ebec has established the Gourmet Route (2003a, 2003b) which crosses the province. The route is focused on traditional producers who themselves focus on local products. The specialities include chocolate shops, artisanal cider and spirits, sugar bushes, cheeses, fruits and vegetables, smoked and marinated sh, marinades and jellies, meat and game, and vineyards (Qu ebec Cargo 2003). Another product, which has become part of the tourist industry is maple sugar. In ` sucre du Qu Qu ebec there is the Association des restaurateurs des cabanes a ebec inc. (Sugar Shacks in Qu ebec 2003). There are approximately 400 maple sugar operations near the major cities in Qu ebec open to visitors during the sugar season (late March ` sucre also means sampling the traditional and early April). A visit to cabanes a foods, 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 maple taffy served on snow (Bonjour Qu ebec 2003). Another notable culinary event is the SAQ Culinary Arts of the Montr eal Highlights Festival in Qu ebec. The Montreal Highlights Festival is a ten-day event celebrating the citys theatres, orchestras, dance troupes, museums, restaurants and hotels (Montreal Highlights Festival 2003). During the event, 50 of Montreals chefs prepare a Festival Menu as well as offering culinary activities such as workshops (Bonjour Qu ebec 2003). It is argued that today chefs have given Qu ebec its own distinct cuisine, with products such as foie gras, magret de canard (duck cutlet), white sh caviar from Abitibi and Qu ebec ice wine. What is interesting to note is that Bonjour Qu ebec also highlights various ethnic cuisines found in Qu ebec that illustrate the statement the rich mosaic of international avours offered in restaurants bears witness to the diversity of cultures that make up Qu ebec today (Bonjour Qu ebec 2003). This is a further reection of the global and local interacting. Ontario In an effort to promote Ontario as a food and wine destination, the Provincial Government and the industry have been working to develop a strategy. The Ontario Wine Strategy is comprised of three documents including (1) Poised for Greatness: A Strategic Framework for Ontarios Wine Industry, (2) Wine of Ontario: Sales and Marketing Plan and (3) Wine and Culinary Tourism in Ontario Strategy. The latter suggests that Ontario should be established as a quality wine and culinary tourism destination for domestic and international markets. Niagara and Toronto have been identied in the document as being the primary culinary destinations as outlined below:

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r Establish compelling high quality experiences for visitors targeting high yield
visitors for whom wine and culinary experiences are a lifestyle choice, and who have a high propensity to travel for such experiences. Different strategies will be

Canadian Culinary Tourism

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employed for the Ontario market, the cross-border US market and the longer-haul Canadian and international markets. Build on the world class wine making, agricultural and culinary capabilities of the Niagara region, on the diverse and multi-cultural dining opportunities available in Toronto, and on the unique cultural and culinary offerings of selected communities and destinations in the province. Build upon the many complementary tourism attractions and visitor appeals in these 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, Greektown and Little Italy. The annual Krinos Tastes of the Danforth is a summer weekend festival celebrating the Greek community in Toronto, focusing on Greek food and culture and attracting visitors from across Canada and abroad (Tastes of the Danforth 2003). In 2003 the tenth anniversary of the event was celebrated with a focus on the return of the Olympic games to Athens. Ten years ago approximately 5,000 people attended and, in 2003, the number rose to 1.2 million (Verma 2003). While the focus is on Greek food, the area is also home to a variety of ethnic restaurants serving food from all over the world, as the following note from Verma (2003: A3) illustrates, Polish perogies, and East Indian samosas were also available. Caribana, an annual event hosted by the Caribbean Cultural Committee in Toronto is a 17-day festival that attracts approximately a million people. One of the aspects of the festival linked to culinary tourism is Tastes of Caribana, where visitors can sample cuisine from the various Caribbean nations (Caribana 2003). Toronto is also host to the annual Toronto Wine and Cheese Show, a three-day event in March. The slogan of the festival for 2004 was A World of Award-winning Wines, Beers, Single Malt Whiskies, Specialty Foods & Cheeses (Toronto Wine and Cheese 2003). At the 2003 show there were just 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 Niagara Region is building its culinary tourism product partly around the wine industry. One organization associated with early developments in the region was Tastes of Niagara. While the organization is currently undergoing restructuring, it is an association of producers, processors, chefs, farm markets, distributors, cooking schools, wineries, tour operators and cultural groups. The slogan on the former website for the organization stated Niagara where New World creativity sparks Old World tradition. Picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake, the verdant Niagara Escarpment, and, of course, the magnicent Niagara Falls. From the heart of this romantic landscape springs not only food and wine to please the most discriminating palate, but also a convivial atmosphere in which to enjoy them. Delicious innovative cuisine prepared from fresh local produce. Award-winning wines made from

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44 A. Hashimoto & D. J. Telfer only the nest vinifera grapes. Talented chefs and memorable restaurants where North American are meets European sophistication. Exciting. Exceptional. Outstanding theatre and colourful festivals enhance Niagaras cultural experience. When you explore Niagara, you discover more than a place. You discover an 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, ve other winery restaurants have opened. Still other wineries are into culinary tourism by offering caf es, special menus, meals or private functions. The wineries awardwinning chefs focus on the best available local produce, such as peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, vegetables, dairy, livestock and fowl (Fraser 2003a). Restaurants have begun partnering with area farmers in a seed-to-kitchen approach. For example, Wyndym Farms in Niagara-on-the-Lake is partnered with Vintage Inns Prince of Wales and Queens Landing hotels. The executive chef and farmer meet to discuss what should be planted and approximately 70 percent of what is grown on the farm is used in the Vintage Inns restaurants (Fraser 2003b). This type of partnership has proven to be very important in the development of culinary tourism in Niagara (Telfer 2000, 2001a, 2001b; Telfer and Hashimoto 2003). The architecture of the wineries and the nature of the wines being produced also reect the cultural diversity typical in Canada. Chateau des Charmes is a French winery with a building designed as a French Chateau and Reif Estates produces German-style wines, while DeSousa makes Portugese-style wines. The Niagara Grape & Wine Festival, a major event centred on the harvest of the grapes in the autumn, has also become an important culinary event. One of the recommendations of the provincial culinary strategy for Niagara was to develop a signature event to raise the prole of Niagara on the international scene. 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 in for the event. Ticket for this event are $CDN500.00 or $US325.00 (Discover Niagara 2003). The diversity of inuences is notable in many other areas of Ontario. The German inuence is especially present in the KitchenerWaterloo region of Ontario where there is an annual Oktoberfest celebration attracting approximately 700,000, making it the largest Oktoberfest outside of Germany (Janiskee 2003). German food often found at an Oktoberfest includes bratwurst, spanferkel, rollbraten, sauerbraten, schnitzel, sauerkraut, pretzels and strudel (Janiskee 2003). With the strong links to the traditions of the region, an Ale Trail consisting of six craft breweries was developed, which further 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, partnerships can be difcult to maintain.

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Canadian Culinary Tourism Prairie Provinces

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Although the Prairie provinces are not in the top three in terms of international destinations in Canada, they are loaded with a variety of festivals and events offering western dining experiences. Culinary images of the prairie provinces are often associated with elds of wheat, Alberta beef, bison, pemmican, or more recently Saskatoon berries. Prairie cooking is also associated with the barbecue, which has its roots in outdoor cooking and communal feasting (Schultz 1995). As Schultz (1995: 68) argued, the traditional western meal has always been built around red meat in some form. In May of 2003, however, a single case of Mad Cow disease was discovered which resulted in countries shutting their markets to Canadian beef. The prairie provinces have suffered especially. As of the summer of 2005, it had cost the industry some $CDN7 billion. The rst truckload of Canadian cattle crossed the border into the USA on July 18, 2005 after a ban of over two years. However, the nal legal ght over whether to reopen the border to the USA is still pending (Gorham 2005). The federal government in Canada has had to provide a number of compensation packages for western beef producers affected by the export ban, including the most recent of CAN$321 million in March of 2005 (Macleans 2003; CBC 2005). The prairies are home to festivals and events tied to the celebration of the westernway of life linked to cowboys, rodeos and agriculture. The Calgary Stampede in Alberta is one of the more famous events in Canada. This ten-day event in July is marketed as the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. It attracts over one million visitors. The spectacle features a wide range of events including agricultural displays, a First Nations village, rodeo and chuckwagon racing, casino, amusement park rides, and concerts. To illustrate how foodways are used as visitor attractions, pancake breakfasts are held throughout the event at various locations, with many of them free of charge. There is a kitchen theatre where celebrity chefs are featured cooking with local or western products. Up to eight cooking shows are held daily before an audience of 200 (Calgary Stampede 2003). Another large agricultural event that also features Prairie Cuisine is the Canadian Western Agribition. This weeklong event held in November in Regina, Saskatchewan attracts close to 150,000 people. The purpose of the week-long event is to showcase and market Canadian agricultural products. There are livestock shows, grain and forage showcases, an agricultural education centre and a rodeo (Agribition 2003). The event also has a showcase of prairie cuisine and features honey, processed meat and butter and cheese competitions. Festivals celebrating foods from other countries can be found at Winnipegs Folklorama and Edmontons Heritage Days. Folklorama in Winnipeg, Manitoba has grown from a single weekend event to a two-week period in midsummer, consisting of approximately 40 pavilions located through out the city, each representing one of Winnipegs diverse cultural groups. The pavilions present displays, crafts, dances

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46 A. Hashimoto & D. J. Telfer and a sampling of distinctive foods and drinks, generating substantial revenues for participants. In 1998, Folklorama attracted more than 425,000 visitors and they served up to 600,000 meals (Selwood 2003). Another of Winnipegs events, Festival du Voyager, is the largest annual winter festival in Western Canada, highlighting French Canadian, Metis and the fur-trading heritage. The event features food favourites such as tortiere, pea soup, pork and beans and bannock, while more recent additions include Beaver tails, maple syrup and poutine (Selwood 2003). In Manitoba there are a number of developments promoting local products and regional cuisine. Manitoba Agriculture and Food offers a new Regional Cuisine Contact Directory on the Internet. The directory offers a new market for local producers by putting them in contact with Winnipeg chefs. It is suggested that there is a growing demand for indigenous and local produce and products which can serve to promote tourism by showcasing Manitobas regional cuisine (Manitoba Agriculture and Food 2003). The Tastes of Manitoba festival held in July features 30 of Manitobas great restaurants and attracts 50,000 visitors (Selwood 2003), while the Manitoba Food Fair in Winnipeg is one of the citys more popular annual visitor attractions (Selwood 2003). Manitoba is also home to Travel Country Roads Canada, a Canadian Tourism Commission Product Club focused in part on the rural experience (Travel Country Roads 2003). British Columbia British Columbia is home to West Coast Cuisine (2003) which is inuenced by a variety of sources, including the available seafood of which Pacic salmon is the best known and the inuence of Asian cultures who have settled in the province (Johnson 1995). The diversity of regions within the province covers small islands to the 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 Routes to Learning Canada (formerly Elderhostel Canada). They offer an eight-day tour entitled West Coast Cuisine: From Ocean to City to Organic Farms. The focus of the tour is to learn about locally produced ingredients and how they are used to prepare a variety of dishes. Highlights include greater Vancouver, Nanaimo and Victoria, with various eld trips in each main location. The Vancouver portion focus on seafood, vegetables, fruits and berries and imported ethnic ingredients. As noted in the introduction, Vancouver is one of the top three preferred destinations for new immigrants, including a large population of Chinese descent resulting in a wellestablished China town (Wong 1995). Visitors are given cooking demonstrations from various cultural approaches and visit Granville Island Market. Granville Island is a successfully redeveloped market combined with tourist shops, bookstores, a hotel, a theatre, and a variety of restaurants (Telfer 2002b; Granville Island 2003). It is advertised as one of Vancouvers culinary hotspots, with everything from ethnic fast food 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, visit a winery and sample the famous Nanaimo bar (chocolate dessert). In Victoria visitors are exposed to the British inuence and take high tea which has become a major tourist event on the island (Routes to Learning 2003). Afternoon tea at the Farimont Empress Hotel in Victoria, with the house blend tea together with raisin scones, double-Jersey cream and strawberry preserves, has been served for close to 50 years. Reservations one to two weeks in advance are recommended (Fairmont 2005). The Gourmet Trail of First Island Tours is another example of specic culinary tours founded in 1998 and is centred on ve inns along the coast whose chefs are committed to regional cuisine and wine (Hastings House 2003). Similar to Niagara, British Columbia is one of the major wine- and fruit-producing regions in the country. There are three wine regions in British Columbia, including Okanagan and Similkameen, Vancounver coastal islands and the Fraser Valley. Of the three, Okanagan and Similkameen is the largest in terms of size and number of wineries, with 50 wineries. Wine and food tourism events have been developed year-round to promote the region and the products. Table 4 presents highlights of the wine festivals calendar by season. The growing wine industry has become part of the culinary attraction of the province. The North Much of the discussion of this paper has centred on the culinary inuences of immigrants to Canada. Equally important are the culinary contributions of Canadas First Nations people. Their contributions in terms of culinary tourism are central to the promotional material for Nunavut. Northern cuisine is featured on the Internet site for Nunavut Tourism. Also referred to as country foods, it includes items such as caribou, muskox, Arctic char, scallops from Cumberland Sound, turbot from the Bafn region and Greenland shrimp. Northern cuisine appetizers include maktaaq, which is the outer layer of the skin of whales (beluga and narwal) served raw. Tourists are 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 urban lifestyle to be prepared for a culture shock and to also to remember that the elders are served rst (Nunavut Tourism 2003). Northern cuisine is also featured at the Annual Arctic Food Celebration held in conjunction with the Nunavut Fair in Iqaluit at the beginning of March. Nunavut Tourism also promotes sport shing and sport hunting. This perhaps represents a very different aspect of culinary tourism and is not found in the preliminary list of culinary tourism activities developed by the CTC, as outlined in Table 2. It raises an interesting questions as to whether culinary tourism can be extended into the area of sport shing and hunting where the sh or animals are consumed after the hunt. The animals that are available for hunting include polar bear, muskox, Barrenground grizzly bear, wolves and wolverines, Atlantic walrus and caribou (Nunavut Tourism 2003).

48 A. Hashimoto & D. J. Telfer

Table 4. Highlights from the 20032004 Okanagan Wine Festivals calendar of events Autumn Blind Wine Tasting at the Blue Gator Seminar: Mixing Varieties . . . What Kind of Wine Does it Create? Kelowna Consumer Tasting Seminar: Blends . . . Lets Make Our Own Wine Seminar: Wine From The Ground Up Winemasters Luncheon & Awards 23rd Annual Grand Finale Consumer Tasting Presented by HSBC Seminar: The Art of Pairing Cheese & Wine Winter/Icewine The Art of Pairing Cheese and Wine Dessert Wine The Late Great Wines of the Vineyard To Gris or Not to Gris . . . There is No Question Winemasters Dinners The Blind Blues The 1st Annual Icewine Festival Orienteering Hunt Magic of Icewine & Dessert Seminar The Sun Peaks Progressive Tasting Medal Winners Tutored Tasting The Icewine Sunday Brunch Spring White or Red? More to it than Colour Ninth Annual Spring Consumer Tasting Bacchanalia Masters of Food & Wine Seminar: Wine Component and Imbalance Evaluation Wine From the Ground Up Summer Art of Pairing Cheese & Wine Winemasters Dinners Wineing Blues The Progressive Tasting
Source: Okamagan Wine Festivals (2003).

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

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Multiculturalism also affects the Canadian ways of life, in particular, gastronomic traditions. Traditional culinary skills and repertoires from the Old World brought in by immigrants meet the challenges of the availability of ingredients in the New World, although global logistic systems nowadays can provide international ingredients. Canadas diverse geographical regions from Northern lands to prairies to oceans produce food and drink ingredients unique to the region. As noted by Deneault (2002), Canadians are taking part in an international movement towards the development of regional cuisine using indigenous or locally cultivated products. Using available produce, Canadians with imagination and innovation have created their own style of cuisine, 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 better to promote Cuisine in Canada, which signies the diversity of available products (Deneault 2002). Canada as one of the favourite international tourism destinations is renowned for its natural scenery. However, as argued, most successful destinations have additional features such as heritage or cultural attractions. The CTC has begun developing cuisine as a new tourism product, knowing that one third of the average tourist expenditure goes into meals. In the Old World, for example, China, Italy, France and Portugal have been successfully selling gourmet tourism or gastronomy tourism for years. The concept of a culinary tourism product has been conceived as a new brand of Canadian tourism. It is indeed a new challenge for Canadian tourism as it has an established image of natural attractions and outdoor activities, and it is not simple to add a new feature or brand. Although Canada is known for its agri- and aquacultural products, Canadian cuisine is not widely known and, even among Canadians, the denition of Canadian cuisine has been debated. It is also challenging to compete against well-established gourmet destinations in the Old World. As highlighted in the centre of Figure 1, the development of Cuisine in Canada is made up of a complex set of variables. With immigrants arriving from all over the world, a rich blend of culinary traditions is developing rapidly. Chefs are also taking advantage of the regional differences in product availability, fusing these complex sets of variables to offer customers something unique yet Canadian in its makeup. These products are displayed at restaurants but also at festivals and special events as well as through regional food associations. It has been argued that under the brand Cuisine in Canada, sub-brands could be developed based on national identity, inuenced by global immigration, such as where foods of the world come together and also various sub-brands could be developed linked to regional identity tied to place. The strength of cuisine in Canada is its diversity and that should be promoted. Making strong links to regional products will help solidify the image. This paper has noted the various inuences on culinary traditions and culinary tourism products in the regions and sub-regions of the Maritimes, Qu ebec, Ontario, the Prairie Provinces, British Columbia and the North. Qu ebec, for example, is different in terms of the products available, but also for the French culture. The situation in the north raises

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50 A. Hashimoto & D. J. Telfer

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Figure 1. Marketing cuisine in Canada.

the interesting question, what should be included in culinary tourism activities. In Nunavut can hunting and shing activities before consumption be considered to be part of the culinary experience? Or should culinary tourism be dened only in terms of the 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 destination and these include: developing national, regional and sector brand images, targeting the US and domestic markets, creating an awareness and raising the prole of cuisine tourism in tourism marketplaces and developing an adequate bank of culinary images for use in CTC marketing programmes (Deneault 2002). As illustrated in other studies in the Niagara Region (Telfer 2001a, 2001b), another important aspect of developing the culinary tourism product and marketing it will be the development of partnerships and the commitment of funds to help link the smaller culinary tourism establishments/products. The CTC has also stressed the importance of partnerships at all levels and between government and industry as well as combining culinary tourism with other tourism products (Deneault 2002). Programmes such as Tastes of Nova Scotia and Tastes of Niagara are potential models of regional partnership initiatives for others to copy. However, as Plummer et al. (2006) have illustrated, these partnerships can be difcult to maintain. Despite the challenges, it is suggested in Figure 1 that partnerships are key to developing marketing strategies between all of the sectors but also that these partnerships link back to the culinary tourism products linked to both location and culture.

Canadian Culinary Tourism

References

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Notes on Contributors Atsuko Hashimoto is Associate Professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at Brock University, Canada. Her areas of research include crosscultural studies in tourism and the environment, Japanese tourists and culinary tourism. David J. Telfer is Associate Professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at Brock University, Canada. His areas of research include tourism and development theories, backward economic linkages of tourism and culinary tourism. R esum e: Vendre le tourisme culinaire canadien: cr eer une marque globale et r egionale
On associe souvent le Canada avec lenvironnement naturel pour cr eer une identit e qui attire les touristes. On associe aussi la soci et e canadienne, cependant, a ` une directive de pluri culturalisme et de diversit e. Des organismes tels que la Commission Canadienne du Tourisme reconnaissent lint er et croissant dans lart culinaire et commencent a ` promouvoir le Canada comme destination pour le tourisme culinaire. Un des probl` emes auxquels sont confront es ces organismes est labsence dune cuisine canadienne typique. Les traditions culinaires du Canada ont e t e inuenc ees par une longue histoire dimmigration ainsi que par lexistence de produits r egionaux. Les chefs ont m elang e traditions culturelles et produits locaux pour cr eer de nouvelles formes et styles de cuisines. Les efforts de diff erentes r egions g eographiques du pays soulignent la riche diversit e qui existe pour le tourisme culinaire au Canada, qui a e t e inuenc ee non seulement par des forces globales mais aussi par des forces r egionales mais que lon peut regrouper sous la marque Cuisine Canadienne.

Mots-cl es: Canada, tourisme culinaire, identit e, 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 Identit at h aug mit dem Naturraum assoziiert. Demgegenuber assoziiert sich die kanadische Gesellschaft selbst jedoch mit den Grunds atzen des Multikulturalismus und der Pluralit at. Einrichtungen wie die Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) haben das wachsende Interesse an der Kulinarik erkannt und damit begonnen, Kanada als ein kulinarisches Tourismusziel zu propagieren. Eine der Herausforderungen, den sich Einrichtungen wie die CTC dabei gegenuber sehen, ist das Denitionsproblem, was kanadische Kulinarik ist. Die kanadische Kuchentradition ist sowohl von einer langen Einwanderungsgeschichte als auch von der regionalen Rohstoffverfugbarkeit gepr agt. Kuchenchefs haben dabei unterschiedliche Kulturtraditionen und lokale Rohstoffe zu neuen Kochstilen zusammen gefugt. Dieser Beitrag stellt Bemuhungen unterschiedlicher Landesregionen vor, welche den Einu der reichen Pluralit at auf die kanadische Kulinarik veranschaulichen, die nicht nur durch globale sondern auch regionale Kr afte geformt wurde und damit unter dem Oberbegriff der, kanadischen Kuche als Marke beworben werden kann.

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Stichw orter: Kanada, kulinarischer Tourismus, Identit at, Image, Markengebung