Developing culinary tourism branding guidelines in sri lanka

Abstract

Culinary tourism has become a significant dimension of the global tourism industry, offering destinations opportunities to strengthen cultural identity and stimulate economic growth. Sri Lanka, with its rich food heritage, diverse flavours, and traditional cooking methods, possesses immense potential to emerge as a leading culinary destination. However, this potential remains underdeveloped due to critical branding issues. Culinary tourism is often underrepresented in national promotional strategies, overshadowed by the emphasis on beaches and heritage attractions. Regional culinary diversity is insufficiently highlighted, stakeholder collaboration remains weak, and there is no unified branding framework to connect local food traditions with the country’s tourism identity. These gaps have hindered the recognition of Sri Lanka as a culinary tourism destination and created a clear need for systematic research. This study explored the challenges of culinary branding, identified elements of Sri Lanka’s tourism brand identity, and developed branding guidelines aimed at positioning the country as a recognized culinary tourism destination. The research adopted a qualitative methodology, primarily involving in-depth interviews with international tourists, officials involved in the tourism sector, and members of local communities. This study focused on investigating the challenges related to culinary branding in Sri Lanka, with an emphasis on identifying key elements of the country's culinary tourism branding identity. It also aimed to develop branding guidelines to position Sri Lanka as an exclusive culinary tourism destination. The outcomes were intended to assist policymakers and industry stakeholders in formulating Cstrategies to enhance the global image of Sri Lanka’s culinary tourism and ensure that these strategies aligned with broader tourism development goals