Durban Indian Cuisine as an Instrument of Gastrodiplomacy Leverage in Tourism

Abstract

Food is a persuasive catalytic agent for bringing people together; one of the prominent tourist attractions; and a powerful tool for achieving strategic diplomatic goals. This conceptual paper discusses the Durban Indian cuisine as a potential instrument of gastrodiplomacy, channelized through tourism. In gastrodiplomacy, food and diplomacy are the main constituents which are entwined in creating and upholding a national brand, such that each of these dimensions through a cumulative appreciation each of these components. In this regard, Durban, a city in South Africa, recently selected as one of the top places for culinary tourism, can wisely use this gastronomic excellence for the benefits of tourism development. Similarly, being a necessary ingredient of Indianess in Durban, ethnic cuisine can be utilized to leverage India’s gastrodiplomacy efforts in the African region. This study proposes collaborative action plans for both Indian and South African governments to implement gastrodiplomacy. In that order, it broadens the current understanding of the geopolitics of tourism by the application of food and diplomacy.