Foraging tourism: critical moments in sustainable consumption

ABSTRACT

Despite the prevalence of sustainability discourses across the Global North, for the majority of people abstract issues of sustainability often have a low salience with the realities of travel choices. Researchers examining sustainable tourism recognise that any changes resulting in sustainable performance are likely to come about as a result of shifts in everyday highly routinised social practices, relations and socio-technical structures. Attending to these debates, this paper examines relations between social practice, sustainability and tourism through the rise in foraging tourism in the United Kingdom. Using evidence from interviews and media analysis detailing perspectives of foraging course leaders and attendees, alongside participant observation, the paper records the ways in which foraging experiences are negotiated and accomplished in commercial contexts and what participants “do” with the ideas and practices post-experience. By engaging with debates surrounding the meanings of sustainable tourism, the paper extends understanding of these concepts through the identification of foraging tourism as a facilitator in rethinking everyday practice and discourse. The paper ends by evaluating the potentials of tourism in facilitating sustainable performance and discourse.

KEYWORDS:

• foraging
• sustainable tourism
• agency/structure
• practice
• local food
• slow travel

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Arts and Humanities Research Council [grant number AH/N504439/1].

Notes on contributors

Anna de Jong

Anna de Jong is a lecturer in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey. Working at the intersections of tourist studies, geography and feminist philosophy, her research examines dimensions of place, identity and politics within tourism and events contexts.

Peter Varley

Peter Varley is a professor in tourism at the Western Norway Research Institute (Vestlandsforsking). His interests lie in the experiential phenomena of tourism and the material, structural and cultural conditions, which influence them. Current specific projects include food tourism, outdoor guiding, slow adventure, concepts of luxury and health and well-being tourism.