ABSTRACT

With the growth and popularity of food tourism, in parallel we have seen the emergence of food-specific events and festivals (Getz, Robinson, Andersson & Vujicic 2014). Events have become an important element of the experience economy; they are often related to improvements to quality of life for communities and regions through their economic and social benefits (Yeoman, McMahon-Beattie, Fields, Albrecht & Meethan 2015). Food festivals provide an opportunity for society to socialise as by their nature, food festivals bring people together. As consumers search for real experiences rather than ‘products’, they seek new meaning and this has led to an increased importance of events and festivals in society (Yeoman, Robertson & Smith 2012). Fundamentally, food festivals and events are a representation of how the experience economy is at the epicentre of the changing nature of the tourism product (Getz et al. 2014). Unlike Italy, France or Spain, who have a strong history of food production and associated food tourism experiences, New Zealand is a country that is not considered a food tourism destination in its own right. Known as the youngest country in the world (Yeoman 2013), it does, however, offer a diversity of experiences and products. As part of the development of its varied experience economy, Wellington on a Plate (WOAP) is New Zealand’s leading food festival. Focussing on utopian ideals, this chapter creates a vision of the future and outlines the actions to create that future. The vision is based on a scenario in Tuscany, La Natura food festival, and this vision assists the reader in considering possible implications for WOAP.