RETHINKING TOURISTIFICATION AS A LONG-TERM PROCESS THE IMPACT OF TOURISM ON THE MADEIRAN CUISINE (19TH-21ST CENTURIES)

ABSTRACT

In the last decade, we have witnessed a growth of contestation movements against touristification on the global scale. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the intensive, disordered flux of travelers in some popular destinations was blamed for negatively affecting the everyday life of local inhabitants. One effect was the degradation of their intangible cultural heritage (ICH), including culinary legacies, and more research has focused on this issue from different disciplinary areas. However, the approaches usually adopted only consider the immediate consequences of the ongoing phenomenon that can be observed during a field enquiry. This paper explores a new path. Assuming that cultural heritage is a long-term social construction, an historian's outlook is needed to see the big picture. The case study of the Madeiran cuisine allows us to understand to what extent receiving guests has long-term effects on the ICH of host communities. Madeira is one of the oldest destinations of the world, with a hospitality industry in activity since the early 19th century. Additionally, numerous documents attest the evolution of dietary patterns of the insular society, not only at this period, but also before and after. From this point of view, it is an excellent place to monitor the socio-cultural impact of tourism. Historical sources from different periods are confronted to understand the dynamic of the culinary repertoire in the archipelago. The point of view of local stakeholders currently involved in this arena are also considered. The results obtained by this diachronic approach enable us to relativize the Manichean vision of holidaymakers as a threat to cultural heritage, demonstrating that touristification studies should take into account the longue durée. © 2022, Ponteditora. All rights reserved.