Date
8-18-2022
Department
Graduate School of Business
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Chair
Ashlie Roeder
Keywords
Trinidad & Tobago, Small Island Destination States (SIDS), Destination Marketing, Food Tourism, Food Souvenirs, Trinitario Fine Chocolates, Food Safety and Hygiene, Carnival
Disciplines
Business
Recommended Citation
Mohammed, Winston, "Local Food in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Destination Marketing – The Case of Trinidad & Tobago" (2022). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 3798.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/3798
Abstract
Trinidad & Tobago is a Caribbean and Small Island Destination State (SIDS) tourism anomaly because it is neither a mass leisure nor a traditional (3S) sun, sea, and sand tourist destination. There is growing scholarly attention on food-related destination marketing in the most successful and attractive tourist destinations globally. Despite the influence of food on a destination's competitiveness and attractiveness, policymakers and tourism organizations of the Caribbean and Trinidad & Tobago have at best underutilized and even ignored the potential of local food because they poorly understand its capacity and capability. Traditional destination marketing treats food merely as a complementary attraction and one of several brand image elements and objectifies it as functional and an element of culture. A 3C destination experience featuring Trinidad & Tobago Carnival, chocolate, and cuisine is more authentically and uniquely competitive than merely homaging ubiquitous 3S brand loyalty. Achieving a deeper understanding of the contemporary leveraging of Trinidad & Tobago's local food and its albeit unofficial status as the culinary capital of the Caribbean as a destination marketing pull is pivotal. A food tourism strategic marketing plan incorporating the facets of Trinitario fine chocolate food souvenirs targeted to the Caribbean cruise tourism industry and destination food safety and hygiene is a crucial cornerstone of contriving future Trinidad & Tobago destination loyalty strategies. However, leveraging an expansive diaspora as destination ambassadors and the growing popularity of Trinidad & Tobago-styled carnival festivals held predominantly in major North American and U.K. cities are the key destination loyalty success pivots.
