Food souvenirs in the perception of the tourist: the case of the artisanal minas Serro cheese

Abstract The present study aimed to analyze the artisanal minas cheese as a food souvenir in the perception of the tourist. The justification of the theme refers to the fact that souvenirs carry different meanings for the tourist and also serve to the divulgation of the destiny. Food souvenirs evoke a taste memory and a sharing of different experiences. The choice for the artisanal cheese from Serro as a food souvenir was due to the fact that this product is a component of the culture of the state of Minas Gerais (Brazil) and holds a record of intangible heritage and geographical indication. The research approach was quanti-qualitative, and the methodology of a questionnaire applied online to people who traveled to the producing region was chosen. There were 129 answers, out of which 103 considered valid. Direct observation was also carried out at commercial locations during field research. Originality derives from the scarce works on food souvenirs and more specifically on products with registration of geographical indication as souvenirs of this category. The results point out fragilities in the commercialization of the product as a food souvenir. However, the respondents demonstrated a favorable behavior to issues related to differentiating identity, identification of origin, adequate packaging and easy transportation. The findings are congruent with the proposal of Horodyski et al. (2014).

摘要
本研究旨在从游客感知视角，分析作为旅游食品纪念品的手工米纳斯奶酪（artisanal minas cheese）。本研究的主题立论依据在于：纪念品对游客而言承载多元意义，同时亦可用于旅游目的地的宣传推广。食品纪念品能够唤起味觉记忆，并促进多样体验的分享。选择巴西米纳斯吉拉斯州塞鲁镇的手工米纳斯奶酪作为食品纪念品，是因为该产品是巴西米纳斯吉拉斯州文化的组成部分，且已纳入非物质遗产（Intangible Heritage）名录并获得地理标志（Geographical Indication）认证。本研究采用定量与定性结合的研究范式，选取面向到访产区游客的线上问卷作为调研方法，共回收129份问卷，其中有效问卷103份。实地调研期间，研究人员还对商业网点开展了直接观察。本研究的创新之处在于，当前针对食品纪念品的相关研究较为匮乏，而针对已获得地理标志登记的该品类产品作为纪念品的研究更是少见。研究结果显示，该产品作为食品纪念品进行商业化推广时存在诸多短板，但受访游客对与产品差异化身份标识、原产地识别、适宜包装及便捷运输相关的议题均表现出积极态度。本次研究结果与Horodyski等人（2014）提出的观点相一致。