The ‘Dairy Tourism’ Experience: Exploring Opportunities for Dairy Tourism in Canterbury, New Zealand’s Dairy Industry

Date
2024
Authors
Shortt, Tyler
Supervisor
Berno, Tracy
Item type
Dissertation
Degree name
Master of Gastronomy
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Publisher
Auckland University of Technology
Abstract

The dairy and tourism industries are heavily linked to Aotearoa New Zealand culture; however, local food tourism opportunities do not see the same success or level of promotion as agritourism or wine-tourism. In other words, Aotearoa New Zealand has not yet managed to fully incorporate food-based activities into the tourist experience. Only little research exists that focuses on the representations of food in New Zealand tourism, and dairy even less that examine the positioning and possibilities of tourism through dairy products and dairy farms. A relatively new tourism branch called: ‘dairy tourism’ seeks to bridge the relationship between dairy products and tourism. Both the dairy and tourism industries play an important role in the New Zealand economy, so to combine the two could positively affect tourism in New Zealand and improve New Zealand’s brand identity, while increasing New Zealand’s value as a tourist destination. The aim of this research is to explore the local dairy foodscapes and existing tourism opportunities in Canterbury Aotearoa, New Zealand to strengthen and ignite destination branding. The study employs a qualitative methodology as it uses secondary sources to conduct a thematic analysis. Thus, a sample of fourteen dairy tourism attractions are used to examine the potential of developing dairy tourism in the Canterbury region. Key findings suggest the region has the potential for dairy tourism using small-scale attractions. The region’s dairy offerings, such as artisanal cheese, ice cream, and high-quality milk, can enable unique attractions for the dairy tourist. By exploiting the connection between Canterbury’s scenery and it’s dairy industry, alongside the alignment with New Zealand’s “clean-green’ image”, a dairyscape can develop to create a destination brand image that is reflective of the region’s cultural and gastronomic identity.

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