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Food Takes Spotlight
in Tourism Push
- Argus Leader
Article
Published: 11/2/05, 2:55 am
Did you know 100
percent of tourists eat? It's a bit obvious, but the idea is
fueling a new category of tourism.
Culinary tourists
aren't hunting for five-star restaurants; they're looking
for the dishes, diners and delicacies that impress the
locals. They want to experience the area's culture via knife
and fork.
"Culinary
tourists are explorers by nature," says Erik Wolf, president
of the International Culinary Tourism Association, an agency
trying to raise awareness about the sometimes-underpromoted
facet of the travel industry. "Food, like a museum, can be
an attraction. And it's the only one that really engages all
five senses."
Wolf travels widely, speaking to tourism officials, local
governments and members of the
food
and beverage industry to encourage them to boost food's spot
on the list of a region's attractions.
In South Dakota, culinary attractions abound, from kuchen to
pheasant.
Billie Jo Waara, tourism director for South Dakota, says
food is part of the overall South Dakota experience. "We've
had requests from guests to highlight the unique flavors of
the state even more, and we're packaging attractions to tie
into this demand," Waara says. "The fact we have such a wide
variety of good, quality restaurants and food offerings,
it's good for residents as well as visitors."
Wolf presented his ideas last week at the Iowa Governor's
Conference on Tourism. While there, he shared ideas on ways
to highlight foods as visitor attractions.
"During one session, we talked about Chicago, and someone
said, 'We don't have what they do,' " says Wolf, an Omaha
native. "I said, 'Don't try to be Chicago. Celebrate what
you are.' "
For Iowa, that means Iowa pork, Maytag blue cheese and a
growing wine-producing industry. Three wine trails already
exist in the state, where fans can visit small vineyards,
sample varieties and see how Iowans make wine.
Wolf said he advised people to remain fresh and avoid
contrived ideas such as "Taste of Iowa."
When it comes to South Dakota's unique cuisine, restaurants
often lead the way. For WR Restaurants, a group that
includes Minerva's in Watertown, Aberdeen, Sioux Falls and
Rapid City, the concept of culinary tourism already is in
the mix.
"We've always featured buffalo and pheasant, if not as main
dish items, then as appetizers or specials," says WR
Restaurants marketing director Barbara Christen. "We are
featuring South Dakota-certified beef on our menus more and
more."
Connecting tourism events to food is part of the WR
Restaurant philosophy as well. Christen says the Rapid City
Minerva's offers menus tailored to Sturgis motorcycle
rallygoers, and the Aberdeen restaurant crafted a hunting
lodge ambience for pheasant season.
But culinary tourism need not be upscale dining, Wolf says.
A big part of it is the experience itself. "We're seeing
more travel shows on the Food Channel and more food shows on
the Travel Channel," he says. "There's a real blurring of
the two, and more people want that hands-on, feel-good
experience that comes with local cuisine."
Kevin Weiland of Rapid City, an associate professor with the
University of South Dakota School of Medicine, is writing a
book called "The Dakota Diet." He finds many healthy foods
in the state could serve as attractions for visitors who are
looking for foods good for them.
"Wild game is abundant here and very healthy. It's low in
fat and contains a lot of good essential omega-3 fats,"
Weiland says. "Deer, elk, antelope - all are common and
wonderful for you."
Weiland says from soybeans to flaxseed to whole grains, a
diet rich in South Dakota products is a healthy one.
"We have so much nutritious food right here in our back
yard, and we need to highlight it," he says. "One of the
staples of the Mediterranean diet is salmon, and we have
Chinook salmon in South Dakota."
The Bay Leaf Café in Spearfish has found a way to highlight
culinary tourism in cleaning and preparing its guests' catch
of the day from Black Hills streams.
Nancy Landess, manager of the Iowa Tourism office, says part
of the reason Wolf was invited to the state's conference was
to help people see the potential in foods of the state.
"We're finding ways to direct people to the locations where
they might have an experience and form a new memory,"
Landess says. "It could be anything from a place like
Breitbach's, the oldest restaurant in Iowa, to a deli or
diner with a unique twist."
Reach reporter Jarett C. Bies at 977-3925.
Content
of article can only be used with writer attribution to
Jarett C. Bies and the Argus Leader.
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