An analysis of Malaysian cuisine, food production and culture program / Mohd Hairi Jalis, Deborah Che and Kevin Markwell

Understanding the relationship between local cuisine, tourists and destinations has gained the serious attention of many tourism scholars over the last 16 years. Most studies have focused on the role of local cuisine and food choices to influence tourists’ motivation to travel and extend their period of stay, as a unique selling point (i.e. competitive advantage) for a tourist destination, and place development. However, deeper understanding of ‘how and why’ local cuisine is integrated into the international tourist destination marketing has attracted less attention. This study investigates the way in which local cuisine is integrated into the Malaysian Government’s destination marketing strategies for the country. It specifically focuses on the policy environment within the tourist industry administration, which has driven local cuisine utilisation as part of the experiences, roles and activities employed, strategic marketing initiatives developed, and the way Malaysian cuisine is represented by the Malaysian Government. Incorporating local cuisine into a multicultural identity has been a deliberate strategy that the Malaysian Government had adopted to market itself as an international tourist destination. However, to achieve this outcome, the Malaysian Government has had to develop a clear understanding of the role of local cuisine in the construction of its destination identity. The study is situated within the framework of the interpretive and social constructivist paradigm and employs a group of Australian students as a case study in order to understand the role of local cuisine in destination marketing. The findings reveal that the Malaysian Government, through relevant tourism policies, has substantially driven local cuisine utilisation as part of the tourism products and experiences offered in Malaysia. Continuous cooperation and support from relevant tourism and hospitality representatives, as well as strategic food marketing initiatives, were the essence of its success. Yet, the Malaysian Government has struggled to clearly identify a nuanced/all-encompassing concept of Malaysian cuisine. This becomes more complicated with the nature of Malaysia’s multicultural background.