Guest Editors

Dr Shola Osinaike, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK
Corresponding email: shola.osinaike@canterbury.ac.uk

Dr Delly Chatibura, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana

Overview

This special issue of the Gastronomy and Tourism explores gastronomy and tourism in the Global South, examining how food cultures, culinary heritage, and gastronomic practices shape tourism experiences, destination development, and community livelihoods across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Middle East.

Gastronomy has become an increasingly important dimension of tourism, influencing destination branding, visitor motivation and local economic development. However, much of the existing research has focused on Global North destinations and perspectives, with comparatively limited scholarly attention given to the diverse gastronomic landscapes of the Global South. This special issue seeks to address this gap by foregrounding the richness, complexity and innovation of food tourism practices in emerging and developing tourism contexts.

Food is deeply embedded in cultural identity, social relations and place-making. In the Global South, gastronomy tourism often intersects with colonial influences, informal economies, heritage preservation, sustainability challenges and development priorities. This special issue welcomes contributions that examine opportunities and debates in gastronomic tourism, including cultural representation, community participation, environmental sustainability, and equitable economic outcomes.

The special issue invites conceptual, empirical and case-based research that advances understanding of gastronomy tourism in diverse Global South contexts, while offering practical insights for policymakers, destination managers, entrepreneurs and community stakeholders.