Grenada AgriTourism Policy Setting Workshop Policy setting for improved linkages between agriculture, trade and tourism: Strengthening the local agrifood sector and promoting healthy food in agritourism. Workshop organised by the Government of Grenada In collaboration with OECS, CTA, IICA, Radisson Grenada Beach Resort, Grand Anse, St. George, Grenada September 17-18, 2019

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THE SERVICE
MANAGEMENT
APPROACH TO AGRI-
FOOD LINKAGES AT
LUXURY HOTELS:
ELEVATING CARIBBEAN
CUISINE
Presented by:
Dr. Kimberly Thomas-Francois
School of Hospitality, Food and
Tourism Management

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PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
• Insights into the Service Management Approach
• Lesson’s from an Exemplary Case Study in Grenada
• Future of Food at Luxury Resorts in Elevating Caribbean
Cuisine
• Areas for Attention and Next Steps

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TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
Figure 1: Linkages, Multipliers and Leakages
Source: Adapted from Dorothea Meyer (2007, p. 563)

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RESEARCH CONTEXT
Caribbean Island
Grenada
Farmers-hotel supply Chains

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THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
THE SERVICE MANAGEMENT APPROACH
Service Dominant Logic
Lusch & Vargo, (2004)
Service
Dominant
Logic
Value Co-
Creation
Intangible
Resources
Relationships

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Service Support Agencies
Value Co-creation
Value co-creation
Strong and Valued Relationships throughout the Supply Chain
Farmers
Focus on
value
creation and
co-creation
with hotel
and
consumers
through the
supply of
Local Food
Service
oriented
production
Hotel
Co-creation of
valued food needs
with farmers
(suppliers) and
(guests) consumers
Focus on providing value to consumers
Information Transfer
Consumers
Co-creation and
co-production
through valued
food related needs
Informationtransfer
Interest in
food source
for leisure,
education or
intrinsic value
Micro-financing &
Clustering
Development
Production Extension
Services & Technical
Support
Facilitate
on Farm
Related
Services
Input Procurement
Agencies
Marketing National
Importing
Board/Storages &
Marketing Services
Government Policy
and Strategic
Development Direction
Farmers
Cluster
Organization
Arrows show flow of information,
value co-creation and co-production,
relationship and intangible resources

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• Farmers
• Hotel
Service Focus
• Consumers
Service Focus
LOCAL FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN CASE STUDY B
Forward

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LOCAL FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN CASE STUDY A
• Farmers
Service Focus
• Hotel
Service Focus
• Consumers
Service Focus
Forward
Backward

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RESEARCH FINDINGS – CASE STUDY A
• Value Co-Creation and Co-Production with Local Foods for
Resort Guests
–the guests’ desire to know where their foods are
grown,
–the desire of guests to experience a ‘taste of place’,
–the provision of nutritional benefits to guests,
–the opportunity for guests to make special food
requests,
–providing guests with unique food experiences and,
–consistent communication between the resort staff
and guests during their stay.

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Valued Relationships in the Resort's Local Food Supply Chain
– Farmers description of relationship with the Resort
• Perception that Business relationship between purchasing
officers and farmers evolved into personal friendships
• Farmers acknowledge the valuable contribution that the
resort is making to their livelihoods.
• Perceived mutually beneficial partnership
• Large quantities of local food purchased by the resort is
unmatched by other hospitality businesses and local
supermarkets

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Intangible Resources in the Resort's Local Food Supply
Chain that Benefit Guests
– Farmers Knowledge and Experience
• Average years of farming commercially amounts to 30
years while many started farming as children
• Hands-on care to individual plants throughout the
growth process to ensure highest quality foods (e.g.
molding and mulching)
• Tacit knowledge of farmers to provide local produce
with special characteristics required by the resort for its
guests
• Technical 'know how' of farmers to produced local
foods with special characteristics required by the hotel
e.g. taste, texture and, size

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Intangible Resources in the Resort's Local Food Supply Chain
that Benefit Guests
– Resort's staff knowledge and Experience
• Staff indigenous knowledge about local foods and culture
experiences with national dishes
• Knowledge transfer from staff to guests on local foods
• Staff’s commitment to innovate, learn and pursue
personal development to ascertain highest standards to
satisfy guests needs
• Staff commitment to understand guests’ needs on a daily
basis and attempting to meet them.

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Intangible Resources in the Resort's Local Food Supply
Chain that Benefit Guests
– Benefits from Geographic Indication
• Unique taste of foods by virtue of place of production
• Rich volcanic soil with that possess high levels natural
nutrients with minimal demand for agro-chemicals and
fertilizers
• Short travel miles within island that allows local foods to
retain its freshness and nutritional value in its natural
state
• Nature based farming on virgin soil that has not be used
for intensive mechanical farming

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EMERGING FRAMEWORK
Value Co-Creation
Co-Production
Consumer
Centric
Valued
RelationshipsIntangible
Resources
Leadership
Innovation

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FUTURE OF FOOD TOURISM
• Trend of experiential travelers
engrossed with food
– Wanting to learn more about
how their meals are prepared
and where they come from
• Desire to meet the grower and
traverse the farms of farmers
• Learning about a particular food, or
even better a community food
culture is the big draw.

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FUTURE OF FOOD TOURISM
• Exclusive and even one-
on-one experiences with
chefs, farmers or other
food producers.
• These travelers spend
about 18-20% more in
destinations for every
age group and country of
origin

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FUTURE OF FOOD TOURISM
• Restaurant ‘a stage for
entertainment’
– Best practices making the
kitchen activities visible to
guest
– Hotel’s community space
where the chefs share their
stories
– Leads to customized
cooking classes

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FUTURE OF FOOD TOURISM
• Food trails are appealing to food tourists
• Restaurants are experience driven with guests having more access
to Chef

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FUTURE OF FOOD TOURISM
• A tasting-only menu or
sampling sessions
• Identify ways to incorporate the
tourist into the food preparation
process
• Cooking in chefs’
homes where an intimate
group of diners, or even a
couple, interact with chef or
authentic home cook and
watch as off-menu courses

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FUTURE OF FOOD TOURISM
• Exposure to local food
ingredients and
preparations in the palm
of the visitors’ hand
(Smartphones) eg.
Tastemade, a food and
travel video network
created for mobile

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AREAS FOR ATTENTION
• Quality of Local Produce
• Increased collaboration with Farmers to foster greater
innovation (Chefs to Farmers)
• Introduction of new varieties of produce
• Greater interaction with local food (Information in rooms)
• Increase product offerings for the nature visitors
• Greater service focus throughout the supply chain
• Most importantly: Incorporate new service-oriented
policies in Agri-Tourism Policies and diffused
strategies into training manuals for hospitality
trainers and hotels.

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THANK YOU