Routledge Handbook of Tea Tourism

The Routledge Handbook of Tea Tourism provides comprehensive and cutting-edge insights into global tea tourism, exploring its interdisciplinary nature and breadth of topics. It examines sustainable tea tourism, management and marketing, innovation and practice, resilience, and the impact of COVID-19 on the sector. It is a valuable resource for students, researchers, and key stakeholders, aiming to increase interaction between academia and industry and encourage sustainable responsible tea tourism.

Format: Hardback
Length: 340 pages
Publication date: 29 November 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The Routledge Handbook of Tea Tourism offers a comprehensive and pioneering exploration into the world of global tea tourism. Drawing upon the expertise of leading scholars and experts from 19 diverse countries, this handbook showcases the interdisciplinary nature and wide-ranging topics associated with this emerging field. Tea, a beloved beverage with a rich cultural heritage, has a profound connection to tourism, encompassing both travel and consumption. For host communities, tea tourism presents a valuable opportunity to diversify their economic activities, while also preserving and sharing cultural traditions and enhancing livelihoods.

The Handbook is structured into five distinct parts, beginning with an introduction and concluding with an epilogue. The first part provides a comprehensive overview of historical and contemporary perspectives on the foundations of tea tourism. It delves into the origins of tea tourism in China, explores the relationship between wild tea and indigenous tourism in Vietnam, examines the role of heritage railways in promoting tea tourism, and highlights the emerging trends in tea tourism in Africa.

The second part focuses on sustainable tea tourism, showcasing examples from Thailand, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and India. It examines the principles and practices adopted to ensure the long-term viability of tea tourism, including initiatives to promote eco-friendliness, cultural sensitivity, and community engagement.

The third part explores the management and marketing of tea tourism, highlighting the tools and techniques employed to develop and enhance the tea tourism experience. It draws upon real-world examples from diverse settings, such as English tea rooms, pearl milk tourism factories in Taiwan, and hot spring tea destinations in Japan. These examples illustrate the creative approaches taken to captivate visitors and promote the unique appeal of tea tourism.

The fourth part delves into innovative practices and perspectives in tea tourism, covering areas such as gastronomical tea tourism, tea cafés and community diversification in Japan, the significance of GIAHS designation in tea tourism, and tea tour guiding in Iran. It showcases the diverse ways in which tea tourism is evolving and adapting to meet the changing needs and desires of tourists.

Finally, the fifth part provides insights on resilience in tea tourism, addressing the challenges and opportunities that arise in this field. It examines topics such as human-wildlife conflicts, the impact of COVID-19 on tea tourism, and the strategies adopted by host communities to overcome these challenges and maintain the sustainability of tea tourism.

In conclusion, The Routledge Handbook of Tea Tourism is a vital resource for scholars, researchers, tourism professionals, and anyone with an interest in global tea tourism. It offers a comprehensive and up-to-date examination of the field, providing valuable insights into the interdisciplinary nature, historical perspectives, sustainable practices, management and marketing, innovation, resilience, and future prospects of tea tourism. By exploring the diverse tapestry of tea cultures and experiences across the world, this handbook contributes to the understanding and promotion of this emerging and exciting sector.

Weight: 1140g
Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032053233