Socio-Cultural Barriers in the Development of Culinary Tourism: A Case Study in the Tourist Destination of Air Manis Beach, Padang City

Yevita Nurti^*1, Edi Indrizal, Ermayanti²

^1,2 Departemen of Anthropology, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia

ABSTRACT: The development of culinary or local food in a tourist destination is very important because it can be a unique strategic resource that characterizes one destination and distinguishes it from other destinations, besides that it can preserve local foods in many regions. However, not all tourist destinations have developed their local food.

Purpose: To analyze the socio-cultural barriers in the development of local food as culinary tourism in tourist destinations

Patients and methods: The research was conducted using a qualitative ethnographic approach, which allows to see and explore culture, including local community initiatives, communal responsibility, participation and local wisdom in developing local food as a tourist attraction.

Results: The research findings show that there are socio-cultural barriers in the development of local food at the Air Manis Beach tourist destination such as: lack of community knowledge of culinary tourism, lack of initiative and communal responsibility, individualistic attitudes, and customary land issues. In addition, there are also psychological barriers where the community is resistant to change, especially changes in the trading business.

Conclusion: This research shows that socio-cultural and psychological barriers experienced by the community can be an obstacle to the development of culinary tourism at Air Manis Beach. The lack of socialization related to food, the lack of socialization related to the importance of developing local food as a tourist attraction, as well as socialization related to food and cooking, makes them resistant to various changes. This research at least finds the root causes of why local food development is difficult in a tourist destination at an early stage. The obstacles that occur can be a guideline for policy makers as input in making policies. Further research is needed that can accommodate a wider sample and more sources of information.

KEYWORDS: Barriers, socio-culture, culinary tourism, tourism destinations

INTRODUCTION

Culinary in a tourist destination can be a unique strategic resource that characterizes a destination and differentiates it from other destinations. Culinary tourism is also one of the key factors in sustainable development, by strengthening the position of local communities in tourism development [1].  In addition to introducing local food to tourists, culinary tourism will also distinguish each tourist destination. Although culinary tourism plays a very important role in tourism sustainability, the utilization of traditional food is a symbol of a region, which can characterize local cuisine, but the development of culinary tourism has various obstacles.

Studies on culinary tourism in Indonesia have increased over the past 5 years, from 2017 – 2021 [2]. The trend or tendency of culinary tourism studies is in demand because culinary is part of the creative economy which is a potential subsector for other sectors in tourism [2]. Culinary exploration has become the main purpose of a tourist trip, which means that tourists deliberately choose a destination because of its culinary appeal [2], as well as interest in exploring the contribution of traditional food utilization in the development of the tourism industry [3].

So far, studies on the development of culinary tourism tend to identify and describe regional specialties, and strategies undertaken in the development [3][4], as well as the impact of local food consumption values on tourist behavior [5]. Specifically, there are no studies that discuss the barriers in the development of culinary tourism, especially socio-cultural barriers.

This research complements the shortcomings of existing studies by looking at how socio-cultural barriers in the development of culinary tourism, which have implications for the ability of the community to promote tourism objects, including culinary tourism. From the cultural aspect, tourism has played an important role in the preservation of local culture and art, so that some local art performances and traditions have finally revived with tourism [6]. Likewise with local food, if developed in tourist attractions, local food can be preserved and characterize one region. In particular, this paper answers what are the obstacles for the community in developing local food in tourist attractions and the factors that influence it. An in-depth understanding of these socio-cultural barriers provides a model for problem solving and lessons learned for the preparation of action plans for the development of culinary tourism in several regions.

This research is based on an argument that the development of local food in a tourist attraction is highly dependent on the initiative of the local community in the tourist destination as the owner of the culinary and cultural identity. Barriers in the development of culinary tourism must be explored in local communities, as owners of culinary culture. The assumption is that local communities in tourist areas are able to come up with innovations in local culinary development, by utilizing existing resources and social capital. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the existing potential and socio-cultural barriers so that local cuisine can be developed in tourist destinations and become an icon in its own region.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Food tourism is the focus on food as an exploration and tourism destination. Although most culinary tourism focuses on the experience of eating and tasting new foods as a commercial endeavor, culinary tourism is also an educational initiative that makes people curious about food, into learning about the culture of cooking, as well as the people involved in food production and preparation [7]. Culinary tourism is an emerging component of the tourism industry and contains traditional elements as a new trend in tourism that values culture and tradition [8]. Culinary tourism is not only traveling specifically looking for food, it can be in nature tourism or cultural tourism but provides local food in its tourist destinations.

Food is culture. Food becomes culture when it is processed, cooked, and served at the dinner table [9]. Developing food in tourism also means introducing local food to tourists and preserving local food. For tourists, food tourism involves traveling to destinations to explore and experience local cuisine, food culture and traditions. They are also looking for a full experience, they want to learn about history and culture [10].

It is very important to develop culinary tourism in tourist destinations. Proper planning, development, and management of culinary tourism will encourage economic development and socio-cultural revitalization of destinations by strengthening inter-sectoral linkages and empowering local communities [11]. The provision of authentic culinary products also allows for the embodiment of local culture and will portray a positive destination image.

Culinary tourism in rural areas (in urban areas too) can be said to be a sustainable source of benefits for local communities, but only if it is developed in line with the potential, interests and capacities of the host community in the tourist destination [12]. If not, it can be an obstacle in the development of culinary tourism.  According to Nurul Farikhatir Rizkiyah & M. Ilham Faridi, another inhibiting factor is the lack of training for human resources in the food sector, such as lack of training on sanitation of culinary products, lack of promotion of culinary products, and lack of training on sanitation and hygiene of food processing [13].

III.  METHODS

Community groups in the tourist destination of Air Manis Beach in Padang city are the focus of this research. This group of people are residents of Air Manis Village but work or trade on a daily basis at the tourist destination of Air Manis Beach. By studying the social groups who trade daily at the Air Manis Beach tourist destination, a community solution model can be built in the development of culinary tourism.

To explore the views and knowledge of local communities on the importance of local culinary as a tourist attraction, a qualitative ethnographic approach will be used, assuming that each community has a unique way of organizing its material phenomena [14]. The qualitative ethnographic approach allows to see and explore culture, especially the culture of eating that grows and develops in the community, including local community initiatives, work ethic, communal responsibility, participation and local wisdom in developing local culinary as a tourist attraction. Therefore, the qualitative ethnographic approach requires that researchers stay long and interact directly with the community under study, in order to understand its culture, expectations, initiatives and local wisdom.

Through this in-depth interview and observation technique, all information will be classified and interpreted based on the information obtained in the field [15]. The data set obtained through interview and observation techniques will be analyzed to find cultural arguments, the meaning behind the information and reality found in the field, by looking for patterns or relationships between one reality and another [16].

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Air Manis Beach as a Tourist Destination

The tourist destination of Air Manis Beach is located in Air Manis Village, which is a village in Padang Selatan District, Padang city. Air Manis Beach is approximately 10 km from the city of Padang. Air Manis Beach is located right behind Mount Padang in the South Padang Area, Padang City. Air Manis Beach is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Padang City. This tourist spot is always crowded with tourists, even during school holidays and Eid holidays. Air Manis Beach has a beach with a wide coastline and sloping contours.

As a tourist destination, Air Manis Beach is managed by the Padang City Tourism and Culture Office, by giving full management rights to the Regional Public Company (Perumda) in its management. Although managed by Perumda, the management and progress of this tourist destination is still supervised by the government.

Fig. 1 Field Documentations, 2023  (See in Pdf File)

The picture above shows that Air manis Beach is a beach tourism as natural resources. The beautiful beach, with two small islands on the left and right, and the wide beach, makes tourists free to play or rent ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) as transportation to explore the beach. ATVs are motorcycles that have four wheels. Tourists can travel along the beach using this ATV. The community has owned an ATV rental business since 2017. ATVs are rented out to tourists for 50 thousand per hour.

The advancement of the ATV rental business has made people in Air Manis Village continue to buy ATVs for rent. Nowadays, almost all communities in Air Manis Village have ATVs for rent, and the community has benefited from the ATV rental. ATV rental has become the first business for the Air Manis community in tourist destinations. The ATV rental business can be said to be a positive influence on the development of Air Manis Beach tourism and the increase in local community income in Air Manis village.

The Air Manis Beach tourist destination has a large parking area, and around the parking area is used by the community to trade clothes, hats, glasses, and others, as shown in the picture below:

(a)  (See in Pdf File)

(b)   (See in Pdf File)

Fig. 2 a and b Field Documentations, 2023

From the picture above, it appears that food businesses do not yet exist. Air Manis Beach, which is located in a coastal area, certainly has large food resources from the sea. The largest food resources that can be obtained from the sea are fish, shrimp, squid, and other marine products. Many types of food and dishes can be processed from these marine products, but they have not been processed into local specialties by the community in Air Manis Beach as a tourist attraction.

Inside the area of Air Manis Beach, a row of food vendors is seen arranging benches or chairs where tourists who want to sit down to eat boiled noodles, fried noodles, fried potatoes, fried nuggets, and so on, which serve archipelago food and are not classified as local specialties.

Fig. 3 Field Documentations, 2023  (See in Pdf File)

The menu offered by sellers to tourists is certainly less able to characterize local specialties, with food sources from the sea. Menus with food sourced from the sea will be very diverse if processed with a variety of spices and types of dishes, which can be the hallmark of the Air Manis village community.

4.2. Analysis of Socio-Cultural Barriers in the Development of Culinary Tourism

The development of local food in tourism at Air Manis Beach faces various socio-cultural barriers. These barriers can be explained as follows:

Lack of public knowledge on culinary tourism

To develop a local culinary business as a tourist attraction requires adequate knowledge about the importance of local food as a tourist attraction. Since Air Manis Beach was opened to tourists, ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) rental has been the main business. The community does not recognize culinary tourism because according to them, tourists who come to Air Manis Beach want to enjoy nature, the beach, and the legend of Malin Kundang stone, not to look for food. As said by one of the informants:

“…We have benefited from ATV rentals since the beginning, and it is still going on. The people here are different from other communities, they are satisfied with ATV rentals alone, not wanting to switch to food. Besides, the food business is not necessarily successful because there are so many things to consider.…”

Apathy and unwillingness to try to open a food business as a tourist attraction also shows that they are resistant to change. Efforts are needed to socialize the importance of developing local specialties as a tourist attraction so that people understand and are not resistant to change.

Lack of communal initiative and responsibility

Initiative and communal responsibility are needed to stimulate the business or development of local food as a tourist attraction. A desire or stimulus is needed for the community to get involved, contribute and benefit from local food businesses as tourist attractions. However, there is no initiative from the community to try or pioneer a local food business as a tourist attraction. This can be seen from the uniformity of the food menu sold in the tourist attraction, which is an archipelago menu, not a typical local menu. It is not difficult to develop local food because basically humans will be greatly influenced by environmental factors in the acquisition of the main food ingredients. Living by the beach is certainly very supportive if they have the initiative to develop local food as a tourist attraction. If the initiative is not there, it will not be able to develop the local food and communal responsibility will be absent.

On the other hand, the initiative to imitate is seen in the efforts made. For example, if someone takes the initiative to make T-shirts with screen printing of Air Manis Beach, then other people have the initiative to join the T-shirt business.

Individualistic attitude

The individualistic attitude of the community can be seen in a worldview that emphasizes personal freedom and individual achievement. The ATV rental business has been conducted on an individual basis for a long time and it seems to have strongly influenced the individualistic attitude of the people of Air Manis. The management of ATV rentals is not coordinated by one party or organization, but is individually owned and managed.

This individualistic attitude seems to have influenced other businesses in tourist destinations, including those selling clothes, hats, glasses and so on. They sell individually, independently, and have a sense of personal achievement.

The issue of customary land

The issue of customary land is no less important in tourism management. The management of the Air Manis Beach tourist attraction began to be taken over by the government since 2016. The government bought land at the Air Manis Beach tourist attraction, but in the land there is customary land (high heirloom property) that cannot be sold because it belongs to a tribe there. This causes the main gate to enter Air Manis Beach to be divided into two, one gate managed by the government and the other gate managed by the community.

This two-door management seems to affect the individualistic attitude of the community.  The results of the entrance gate owned by the government will belong to the government, while the results of the entrance gate owned by the community will belong to the community. The development of tourist attractions also experiences differences, where the development carried out by the government is more directed, better, the arrangement of tourist parking lots is better and wider, while the development of tourist attractions carried out by the community is almost non-existent due to lack of budget issue.

Psychological barriers

The development of local food as a tourist attraction also faces various psychological barriers. These psychological barriers affect how people respond to, manage, or participate in the development of local food businesses. Fear of failure, fear of trying new things, especially for food development businesses requiring the ability to cook and package food, as well as presentation, which in turn makes them uncomfortable.

They will be in a period of uncertainty and anxiety if the local food they prepare is not liked or does not sell well. Some of them feel embarrassed and afraid of being ridiculed if the local food is not as expected. Some people think that it costs a lot of money to develop local food as a tourist attraction. Such social pressure can ultimately limit the courage of individuals to take the initiative to develop their local food as a tourist attraction.

CONCLUSION

This research shows that socio-cultural and psychological barriers experienced by the community can be an obstacle to the development of culinary tourism at Air Manis Beach. The lack of socialization related to food, the lack of socialization related to the importance of developing local food as a tourist attraction, as well as socialization related to food and cooking, makes them resistant to various changes.

This research at least finds the root causes of why local food development is difficult in a tourist destination at an early stage. The obstacles that occur can be a guideline for policy makers as input in making policies.

This research is still ongoing with limited data. This makes it impossible to recommend it as a comprehensive basis for formulating policies related to how to develop local food as a tourist attraction and its problems in many tourist destinations. It is anticipated that formulating policies will require extensive data and in-depth interviews with at least some tourist destinations as a solid basis for policy formulation. Further research is needed that can accommodate a wider sample and more sources of information.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The chairman and members of the research team would like to thank Andalas University for providing assistance in the form of facilities and funds for this research entitled “Socio-Cultural Barriers in the Development of Culinary Tourism: A Case Study in the Tourist Destination of Air Manis Beach, Padang City”

VII.  DISCLOSURE

The author reports no conflicts of interest in this work.

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