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Overview
The global production, marketing and consumption of tea present a resource for tea-related tourism. Tea and Tourism: Tourists, Traditions and Transformations profiles tea cultures and examines the social, political and developmental contexts of using related traditions for touristic purposes. This volume views tourism related to tea from differing disciplinary perspectives, and from marketing, planning, entrepreneurial and developmental viewpoints. The book examines the transformation of indigenous and imported tea traditions into experiences for tourists. Profiling these tea experiences from around the world including the United Kingdom; Sri Lanka; India; China; Taiwan; Kenya and Canada the volume reveals the ways in which tea’s heritage is adapted for tourism consumption. This is the first definitive work on tea tourism. Global tea tourism trends are identified, while case examples provide fresh perspectives on the ongoing transformation of tea for tourism purposes.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781845413248 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Channel View Publications |
| Publication date: | 01/23/2007 |
| Series: | Tourism and Cultural Change , #11 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 280 |
| File size: | 4 MB |
About the Author
Lee Jolliffe, an Associate Professor of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of New Brunswick, Canada has a diverse background that encompasses museum planning and hospitality management. Her interest in researching tea and tourism was sparked by experiencing tea in England where she completed a PHD; operating a tea shop in Prince Edward Island; and working in Saint John, New Brunswick, a city with a rich tea history. Researching this topic Lee has visited tea gardens in China and Thailand and has spoken to tourism students in Canada, China and Vietnam about tea and tourism.
Lee Jolliffe is Professor (Retired) at the University of New Brunswick, Saint John, Canada and a Visiting Professor at Asia Ritsumeikan University, Japan. She is the editor of Tea and Tourism: Tourists, Traditions and Transformations (2007) published with Channel View Publications and has investigated tea tourism in Japan, China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and South Korea.
Read an Excerpt
Tea and Tourism
Tourists, Traditions and Transformations
By Lee Jolliffe
Multilingual Matters
Copyright © 2007 Lee Jolliffe and the authors of individual chaptersAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-84541-324-8
CHAPTER 1
Connecting Tea and Tourism
LEE JOLLIFFE
Tea means many things to many people. It has an immensely rich and intriguing history and can be considered to be a plant, an agricultural product, a beverage, a meal service or a pastime. Tea has been both the focus of colonization and the subject of revolutions. Tea is closely connected with the ancient and modern history of world trade and travel. Tea as a commodity and a tradition can be transported from one culture to another and through cultural adaptation transformed from the traditions of one culture to the heritage of another.
Beginning in ancient times in China, tea derived from the Camellia sinensis plant was cultivated, processed and consumed. In China it was one of the tribute crops grown for the ancient Chinese rulers. In Japan the Japanese adopted their tea ceremony. A related variety of tea was also discovered and cultivated in India and the development of tea plantations were part of the intense colonization of the country under British rule. The cultivation of tea was subsequently introduced to many other countries, including Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Kenya and Malawi. As a beverage, tea became the drink of choice for many nations around the world, including England, Russia and Canada.
Tea and its many aspects can clearly be a fascinating and most interesting subject of study. This is a book about one particular aspect of tea: tea and its myriad connections to tourism. It is also a book about the tourism of tea. Traders have long travelled in search of tea. Travel itself also has a rich connection with tea and has contributed to disseminating tea cultures and traditions. Tea is part of many tourist activities, whereby local tea traditions, cultures, services and attractions are experienced. This may vary from experiencing tea in the tea houses of Hangzhou, China or Taipei, Taiwan to visiting the tea museums of London, England and Ping Lin, Taiwan or purchasing tea as a souvenir in the airport shops of Hong Kong and Beijing, China.
Both tea-producing and tea-consuming countries have adopted tea as an inherent part of their national identities and this is important to the tourism process. For the Chinese it is the 'art of tea', for the Japanese 'the way of tea', for the British 'afternoon tea' and for the Russians tea served in a 'samovar'. Regional identities can be based on tea as well, as is evidenced by the 'cream teas' popular in the south of England, the tea festivals of the northern regions of India or the New Tea Appreciation Festival of Hunan, China.
There are many varieties, types and blends of tea. The leaf from the Camellia sinensis plant is processed, resulting in a number of types of tea which include white and green (unfermented), oolong (partly fermented) and black (fermented) teas. Different types of tea have been adopted by different cultures. In China green (unfermented) tea has been identified as a national drink, whereas in England black (fermented) tea has some associations as a national drink. Tea-producing areas in the Fujian Province of China, Taiwan and the north of Thailand have adopted oolong (partly fermented) tea as their drink of choice. In all of these cases, the consumption of tea forms an important aspect of social interaction and business dealings.
There is less caffeine in tea than in the popular beverage coffee and consuming tea has beneficial health effects (Manil & Zbinden, 2001). Today, there is thus an increased and renewed interest in the consumption of tea, particularly as a specialty beverage and for its health benefits. However the health benefits of tea are just one aspect of a beverage valued by most of the world's population.
Tea has many roles in relationship to tourism, society and its institutions. In this book, tea is being considered as a central analytical tool for tourism and the discourses, networks and impacts created by the relationship between tea and tourism. The following sections therefore discuss the role of tea and its consumption as: an instrument of hospitality; an influencer in terms of tourism and social change; a component of tourism experiences; and a dedicated focus for tourism attractions.
Tea and Hospitality
Tea is closely linked with hospitality and can be seen as its instrument. When tea is offered as a sign of hospitality in both domestic and commercial contexts the meanings and the significance behind it are complex. Tea in some situations may be a symbol of the commoditized guest–host relationship. For commercial hospitality operations tea may represent a potentially profitable product. The beverage of tea, with its ability to reflect local cultures and tastes may offer an opportunity for the hospitality industry to blend new specialty products and services, with positive results for investors.
Being the most consumed beverage in the world after water (Walker, 1996), tea is an integral part of food service. Hotels and restaurants (to a lesser extent) all over the world have seized upon the provision of 'afternoon tea' not only as an added meal service and luxury product, but as an added revenue stream. Vacant dining facilities can be utilized for the afternoon tea service in the time between lunch and dinner. Some hotels such as the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, Canada have built their reputation around their afternoon tea service.
In both Canada and the United Kingdom, tea councils are involved with certifying food service establishments that serve tea. The Tea Council of Canada has a certification programme and the Tea Council in the UK also certifies tea rooms (including those in hotels). In the latter case the certification process is administered through a tea guild. Practitioners in Canada interviewed for an investigation into tea provision in hotel and resort properties (Jolliffe, 2004) acknowledge that tea offered in such settings is an experience, and the current evolution of tea into a 'trendy' product does not surprise them.
That tea has a strong historical link with hospitality is reflected by the evolution of the tea room in the UK during the late 19th century, as a safe place where women could go to socialize with friends. Tea provision in the contemporary lodging sector is an extension of these historical roots. This provision also reflects the transference of the traditions of home, whereby a welcoming 'cuppa' (a colloquialism for a cup of tea), offered in a cosy setting, is transferred over to the commercial domain of today's food service and lodging industry.
Tea, Tourism and Social Change
It is evident that tea, as both a consumable product and an experience, is changed and adapted through both travel and tourism. The social changes within society with regard to tea are widespread and today are experienced as tourism. For example, the adoption and popularization of tea in 18thand 19th-century Britain and the concurrent development of tea traditions represent the changes taking place in society. Tea is a barometer of social change, as seen in the case of many indigenous societies that have adapted tea as a beverage after contact with the outside world. For example, both the Inuit people of northern Canada and native tribes in Kenya have adopted the drinking of black tea as part of their cultures. In contemporary society the social and contextualized cultural performances of tea drinking in international travel and exchange are evident in the many different forms of tea provision and tea ceremony. This ranges, for example, from the Japanese tea ceremony to the British afternoon tea.
Present-day tea-related tourism has the potential to be an instrument of social change in terms of sustainable development projects in conjunction with tea gardens. Such projects have been established in Sri Lanka and proposed in China. In these cases tea tourism is seen as a means of generation of local revenue and poverty reduction. The irony of this situation is that very often the projects seek to address the very inequalities in local societies created by the initial development of the tea gardens (Moxham, 2004). It was common in the establishment of tea plantations in India and Ceylon for the large tea companies to keep the costs of production down in part through low wages for the workers. This situation allowed tea to be marketed to the masses in other countries at a low price.
Shapira (Shapira et al., 1975: 233) indicates that 'ceremonies, customs and rituals that have grown up around the practice of tea drinking are an integral part of the life and culture of many societies'. These tea customs and traditions are part of social change, arising as tea has been adapted from one society to another. While this has been a gradual process that has taken centuries, even today contemporary tea traditions experienced through tourism have the ability to influence the tea traditions of other societies. For instance, the Taiwanese tradition of 'bubble tea shops' is now being introduced in other countries, for example in the major cities of North America several of these shops are now open. In Taiwan the popularity of English-style tea houses is reported to be on the increase, especially among female customers who are attracted to the English-style tea service (Euromonitor, 2004). These trends demonstrate the transference of tea cultures and traditions across borders and continents.
In summary, tea traditions reflect social changes in society. Additionally, travel has had an important influence on nurturing these changes. Even today, the traditions and cultures related to tea are constantly being adapted and influenced by societies and their institutions. Tea tourism has the potential to address social inequalities at tea-producing locations and to be employed in the development of tourism, in both tea-producing and tea-consuming countries. Tourism also has the potential to impact local tea cultures as hosts develop the tea services they think tourists would like to experience.
Tea and Tourism Experiences
Tea plays a role in a large proportion of tourism trips. It may be a beverage served during a trip on a plane, a ship or a train; it may be a beverage served at the destination, at breakfast, lunch or dinner; it may form a meal service itself at the destination, for example as an afternoon tea; or it may be experienced at the destination as part of a tea attraction such as a museum or an exhibition. Tea can be experienced as part of traditions considered to reflect national identities, such as afternoon tea in England (Howard, 2003) or the Japanese tea ceremony in Japan (Pettigrew, 2001). In these circumstances the serving of tea can take on a ritualistic or religious approach. For example in the case of British afternoon tea, Pettigrew (1999: 71) indicates that 'traditionally served in the drawing room or garden at 4 p.m., a full afternoon tea in Britain always includes a spread of food as well as the beverage'. Another British institution, the tea room has taken on some of the characteristics of the afternoon tea (Boniface, 2003).
In the case of tea the Japanese way, Pettigrew (1999: 74) indicates 'the ritual of the Japanese ceremony is based on Zen Buddhism and involves much more than just drinking tea'. It is said that the Chanoyu tea ceremony can last up to four hours. Pratt (1982) reports that during its 700 or so years of history the Japanese tea ceremony has gone through at least three stages of development. During the second stage, in the 1400s, tea tournaments were popular. At these events a number of teas were sampled and guests who guessed correctly received a prize.
In both North America and the United Kingdom a whole genre of literature has encouraged the public to think of the mysterious and romantic appeal of tea and to become consumers of the tea experience. This includes a number of compendiums of tea facts, history and lore, for example: James Norwood Pratt's informative book The Tea Lover's Treasury (1982); Joel, David and Karl Shapira's (1975) guide The Book of Coffee and Tea; and the classic volume by Michael Smith, Afternoon Tea (1986). Also, some authors have documented their experiences running tea rooms, for example: Naughton and Perry (2002) Tea and Sympathy. Others, such as Jane Pettigrew, have used this experience as a jumping-off point for a career investigating tea, producing a number of works, including A Social History of Tea (2001). Those formerly involved in the tea trade have also written about their experiences and using this perspective as a starting point have delved into the various aspects of the background of tea. This group includes Roy Moxham (2004) Tea: Addiction, Exploitation and Empire. The author uses his experiences as a tea plantation manager in Africa as a starting point for tracing the history of tea and colonization.
With so much to experience in terms of tea it is no surprise that tea will appeal to tourists and that some tourists will be dedicated to searching out tea products and experiences during their travels. Some are extreme in terms of their dedication to the search; for example, Boniface (2003) refers to those who search out tearooms as 'tea room enthusiasts' and Jolliffe (2003a) refers to 'dedicated tea tourists' as those who will make or alter travel decisions according to their interest in tea. Others have searched out the meanings and stories behind tea; for example, Goodwin (2003) is one of the many who have travelled to countries such as China and India to uncover some of the facts and myths behind tea. The account of Goodwin's tea travels, first published in 1991 was reissued in 2003. Tea is also the subject of dedicated tea tours, taken to destinations that have a rich tea history, either in terms of consumption or production of tea, as described by Pratt's (2002) vivid account of a tea tour to China in his essay 'Pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Tea'.
Tea is a social custom and as such is part of many celebrations that tourists will experience. Tea as a daily event is one that serves as a marker of the tourism experience and a link between the other experiences of the day. Beyond the daily experiences of taking tea or experiencing tea as a meal service, tea events may include tea parties, tea tastings and tea interpretations. Tea parties offer a chance for tourists to socialize over a cup of tea. Tea is such an integral part of many societies that its service and customs may be stereotyped. Shapira (Shapira et al., 1975: 235) observes 'the Briton, to be happy must have this tea, good tea, wherever he wants it; at the railway station, the tea trolley, on the trains, the tea basket, the cinema, the tea room'. Such stereotypes have an impact on what tourists expect and can cause tourism providers to offer what might fulfil the tourist image of a particular tea service. This in turn can threaten the authenticity of tea traditions. Boniface (2003: 116) notes that afternoon tea is an anachronism in that it 'represents an experience that is essentially now entirely heritage, but it is a heritage much pursued and regarded with enthusiasm and affection'. Much has been written about afternoon tea. There are books on afternoon tea, tea trails, tea walks and cream tea guidebooks. In this way tradition becomes attraction, and the tourist is part of the changing and adapting culture of tea.
The Attraction of Tea
There is evidence that tourists are interested in cuisine and are culinary purists (those who strive for correctness and authenticity in cuisine) (Wolf, 2003). There is a growing interest in culinary tourism which consists of travelling to experience culture through food and drink. Tea-related tourism has parallels with other food-related tourism pursuits such as wine tourism that have been investigated by tourism researchers (for example, Hjalager & Richards, 2002). There are obvious commonalities between wine and tea tourism with both beverages having rich histories and connections with travel. However, tea as a beverage is more commonly drunk and adapted to different cultures and societies. A service such as afternoon tea therefore acts as an attraction for the cultural tourist but also as a link between other activities in the day, and in many cases forms a symbolic element of cultural distinctiveness.
For tea drinkers worldwide, tea serves to attract them to experiences related to the consumption and appreciation of tea, and the appreciation of the tea cultures of other societies. Tea has a complex global history and a number of attractions have been developed that focus on tea. This includes both natural attractions such as tea gardens and estates and man-made attractions, such as interpretation centres and museums. Special events focusing on tea or with a tea component can also serve as attractions. Attractions can be classified by the length of stay and there is much potential for the development of what Gunn (1988) refers to as touring-circuit attractions. In the case of tea, this type of attraction might include designated tea trails and routes.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Tea and Tourism by Lee Jolliffe. Copyright © 2007 Lee Jolliffe and the authors of individual chapters. Excerpted by permission of Multilingual Matters.
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Table of Contents
Part I: Introduction
1. Connecting Tea and Tourism - Lee Jolliffe
Part II: Tea Histories, Collections and Traditions
2. Tracing the History of Tea Cultures - Paul Leung Kin Huang
3. Tea and Travel: Transforming the Material Culture of Tea - Lee Jolliffe
4. Tea Traditions in Taiwan and Yunnan - Paul Leung Kin Huang
Part III: Tea and Tourism: Political, Social and Economic Developments
5. Tea Production and Tourism Development in Assam: A Missed Opportunity? - Kevin Hannam
6. Amidst the Misty Mountains: The Role of Tea Tourism in Sri Lanka’s Turbulent Tourist Industry - Rabindranath B. Gunasekara and Janet Henshall Momsen
7. The New Tea Appreciation Festival: Promotion and Socio-economic Development in Hunan Province, China - Rong Huang and Derek Hall
8. Tea Culture and Tourism in Fujian Province, China: Towards a Partnership for Sustainable Development - Honggen Xiao
9. Tourism Development and the Tea Gardens of Fuding, China - Lee Jolliffe and Peifen Zhuang
10. Tourism and Tea in Kenya: Opportunity for Development - Jacqueline Muhati and Lee Jolliffe
Part IV: Transforming Tea: From Tea Experiences to Tea Destinations
11. China’s Tea Horse Trade Route and its Potential for Tourism - Hilary duCros
12. Hangzhou: China’s Green Tea City - Keith Dewar and Wen Mei Li
13. The UK’s Teapot Trails: Just a Handle or Something Worth Spouting About? - Derek Hall and Steven Boyne
14. Tea Tourists and Tea Destinations in Canada: A New Blend? - Lee Jolliffe
Part V: Conclusion
15. A Research Agenda for Tea Tourism - Lee Jolliffe