Toward a better understanding of tourism and agriculture linkages in the Yucatan: Tourist food consumption and preferences

The importance of creating backward linkages between tourism and agriculture is receiving growing recognition among tourism scholars. Most tourism and agriculture research is focused primarily on hotel food procurement patterns and does not address the principal force driving hotel purchasing - tourist food consumption and preferences. While the tourism and agriculture literature makes frequent anecdotal reference to tourist consumption patterns - particularly differences according to nationality and type of tourist - there is little empirical data available. This article seeks to address this lacuna: employing data drawn from a recent survey of 615 Yucatan Peninsula visitors, complemented by qualitative interviews, in an analysis of tourist food consumption and preferences. Study results reveal a relatively high level of demand among tourists for foods for which there is potential to produce in the region. While there are discernible differences in food consumption and preferences by tourist nationality and type of tourist, they are not as great as the literature would suggest. Contrary to popular perceptions, Americans do not demand significantly more home country food than do tourists from other nations. The study concludes that tourist food consumption and preferences do not represent a major obstacle to promoting future tourism and agriculture linkages in the Yucatan Peninsula. Mexican foods, tropical fruits and organic produce are identified as areas of significant potential for linking tourism and local agriculture in the Yucatan.