DRAFT COPY of Deale, C., Norman, W., & Jodice, L.W. (2008). Marketing Locally Harvested Shrimp to
South Carolina Coastal Visitors: The Development of a Culinary Tourism Supply Chain. Submitted to
Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
Marketing Locally Harvested Shrimp to South Carolina Coastal Visitors:
The Development of a Culinary Tourism Supply Chain
Cynthia Deale, Ph.D., William C. Norman, Ph.D., and Laura W. Jodice
Abstract: This exploratory research investigated the connection between sales
of shrimp at dockside retail establishments or by shrimp fishermen direct to the
consumer, as well as the development of an effective culinary tourism supply
chain for shrimp. Data from the South Carolina Coastal Tourism Survey (2004)
were examined and the connection between wild, locally caught shrimp and
tourism in South Carolina was investigated. Multiple regression analyses were
conducted to determine the influence of 28 shrimp attributes on five different
shrimp-tourism distribution options and revealed that four different combinations
of shrimp attributes significantly influenced the food supply chain scenarios.
Key words: shrimp, tourism, supply chain
Cynthia Deale, Ph.D., is an
Associate Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management ,
College of Business,
Western Carolina University ,
Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723
Email: deale@email.wcu.edu
William C. Norman, Ph.D., is an
Associate Professor,
Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management,
Clemson University,
Clemson, South Carolina 29634-0735
Email: wnorman@clemson.edu
Laura W. Jodice is a
Research Associate,
Recreation, Travel and Tourism Institute,
Clemson University,
Clemson, South Carolina 29634-0735
Email: jodicel@clemson.edu
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South Carolina Coastal Visitors: The Development of a Culinary Tourism Supply Chain. Submitted to
Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
Marketing Locally Harvested Shrimp to South Carolina Coastal Visitors:
The Development of a Culinary Tourism Supply Chain
Introduction
Can there be a connection between shrimp and tourism promotion and
development? “Shrimp fresh off the boat is packed in ice and sold to
wholesalers, restaurants, and - lucky for you - individuals” (Steinmann, 2005).
Wild caught shrimp in the United States (U.S.) can be packed on ice, sold at
dockside restaurants or sold in shops to take home. How can this fresh shrimp
be effectively moved through the food supply chain at the local and regional
level, and how can the promotion and purchase of American wild-caught shrimp
help the shrimp industry and tourism in these areas? This exploratory research
investigated the connection between sales of shrimp at dockside retail
establishments, or by the shrimp fishermen (shrimpers) direct to consumers, and
the purchase location’s impact on tourism in those regions.
Shrimp is the United States’ most popular seafood (NMFS, 2007), yet the
domestic shrimp fishing industry is in trouble due to a drastic price decline
resulting from competition with foreign markets and aquaculture. The Southern
Shrimp Alliance, which represents shrimpers from North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas
recognizes these problems, in particular, the “dumping” of foreign shrimp into the
US market, and seeks solutions to return the domestic shrimp’s market/share to
levels prior to the entry of foreign caught shrimp (Sparshott, 2004). Suggestions
for resolving the problem include extensive restructuring of the US shrimp
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South Carolina Coastal Visitors: The Development of a Culinary Tourism Supply Chain. Submitted to
Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
industry and developing new marketing strategies to survive (Feclyn, 2004;
Goins & Kent, 2005). One strategy is to explore the interface between the
shrimp industry and culinary tourism. Culinary or food tourism is a potentially
lucrative niche that holds strong potential for economic growth (Wolf, 2002).
Opportunities exist for destinations to promote and develop food products and
specialized cuisine and to use those products to promote the destination.
However, to develop an efficient culinary tourism supply chain, producers need to
build effective tourist-based distribution channels for their food products that will
also serve to promote the uniqueness of the tourism region or destination. This
paper explores the connection between wild, locally caught shrimp and tourism in
South Carolina.
Purpose of the Study
To study the shrimp-tourism supply chain, data from the South Carolina
Coastal Tourism Survey (2004) were examined.
This analysis explored the
influence of shrimp attributes on coastal visitors’ interest in:
o purchasing freshly caught shrimp to bring home
o eating shrimp at local festivals and events
o timing a visit to the South Carolina coast to when fresh locally harvested
shrimp is available
o using a travel guide with information on locations to purchase local shrimp
o ordering shrimp to be mailed to them from the shrimp locale that they
visited
The 28 attributes of the shrimp that were examined included:
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South Carolina Coastal Visitors: The Development of a Culinary Tourism Supply Chain. Submitted to
Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
o when the it was caught
o where it was caught
o who caught it
o whether it was harvested in an environmentally sustainable manner
o storage temperature since caught
o government inspected
o industry inspected
o health safety (pollution)
o health safety (additives, e.g., antibiotics or preservatives)
o certified organic
o U.S.A. caught, state of origin
o local wild-caught
o local farm-raised
o recommended by locals
o supports local fishermen
o fresh never frozen, in-season
o premium quality
o appearance
o nutritional value
o low price
o good value for the money
o size, tastes good
o reputation of restaurant
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Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
o reputation of vendor/retailer
o a regional shrimp brand name
The major underlying research question for this analysis was: Does the
influence of South Carolina coastal tourists’ importance ratings of shrimp
attributes differ across five shrimp-tourism supply chain alternatives?
Background of the Shrimp Industry and Tourism Related to the Shrimp
Industry
Since the year 2000, the shrimp industry in the Southeastern United
States has been facing major economic challenges, the most significant of which
is the suppressed prices of shrimp due to a dramatic increase in the supply of
imports from producers of farmed shrimp in Asia and South America. This
increased supply and reduced price has influenced U.S. consumption patterns.
Per capita shrimp consumption in the U.S. reached a record high in 2004 and
shrimp continues to be one of the most popular seafood products among U.S.
consumers; yet current demand far exceeds domestic harvest and over 90
percent of shrimp consumed in the U.S. is now imported (NMFS, 2007).
However, the NOAA Fisheries of the United States 2005 report indicated
that the U.S. South Atlantic region (excluding ports on the Gulf of Mexico)
landings represent less than one percent of fresh/frozen shrimp available on the
U.S. market (NMFS, 2007). This report also indicated that shrimp landings in the
U.S. South Atlantic region declined 41 percent from 2004 to 2005. This is not a
result of a decline in shrimp stock, but rather a reflection of the reduced fishing
effort due to increasing operating costs and low economic return.
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South Carolina Coastal Visitors: The Development of a Culinary Tourism Supply Chain. Submitted to
Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
Specifically, in South Carolina the number of active fishing vessels has
been declining since 2000 (SCDNR, 2006). Furthermore, the decline in
processing and storage facilities in South Carolina and concentration of
remaining facilities in the Gulf of Mexico region makes the South Carolina
industry particularly vulnerable to catastrophic hurricane destruction and limits
potential for regional branding and niche marketing of domestic, wild-caught
shrimp at the national level (Jodice, Norman, Shenoy, & Woosnam, 2006). This
makes competition with imports difficult.
Similar to other agricultural and seafood producers, the increased
competition from foreign producers and changes in food supply chains has
forced the shrimp industry to explore new strategies for marketing and
distribution. For example, the Southern Shrimp Alliance has facilitated the
formation of a non-profit company called Wild American Shrimp, Inc. to assist in
the certification, branding, and promotion of a premium domestic shrimp that is
wild-harvested in the Southeastern U.S. (WASI, 2007). The success of this effort
will depend on defining consumer markets willing to pay more for domestic
shrimp based on quality and regional attributes. WASI is already currently
engaged in extensive advertising, educational, and promotional efforts on behalf
of wild-caught American shrimp.
South Carolina tourists appear to be a valid target market for locally
harvested shrimp. There are 25 million visitors to South Carolina annually,
generating $7.8 billion in 2004 (TIA, 2005); and tourism ranks as the number one
employer in the state, the third industry in terms of capital investment, and fourth
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Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
in terms of gross state product. In addition, 56 percent of all South Carolina
travel expenditures are in coastal destinations. (TIA, 2005). Therefore,
relationships between restaurants, festivals, and other venues that tourists
frequent, and local shrimp producers may need to be facilitated and different
supply chain components may need to be explored and created (Jodice,
Norman, Condrasky, Howell, Shenoy, McElroy, Dayton, & Wooten, 2005) to
facilitate a more profitable shrimp industry in South Carolina.
In 2004, a study was conducted to define strategies for integration of the
tourism and shrimp industries on the South Carolina coast. Project research
objectives included:
1)
A survey of South Carolina coastal tourists.
2)
Culinary research comparing the taste of locally caught wild shrimp
with other shrimp products,
3)
Case studies of the shrimp distribution systems of South Carolina
coastal restaurants that do and do not purchase local shrimp, and
4)
Regional case studies that illustrate the integration of the shrimp
industry with tourism.
Analysis of data from the South Carolina Coastal Tourism Survey (2004)
identified tourist preferences for seafood and related commercial-fisheries
tourism experiences. This study was supplemented by on-site observations;
analysis of secondary data from restaurant interviews; and interviews with county
tourism professionals, local officials, representatives from various organizations,
and shrimp fishermen. Data also included printed material, website searches,
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Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
and on-site observations regarding current shrimp tourism opportunities (Jodice
et al., 2005). Results suggested that there is a segment of coastal tourists who
prefer locally harvested shrimp. Researchers found that marketing and
implementation of tourism related to shrimp differed in three South Carolina
Coastal areas (Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Beaufort), so separate
recommendations were developed to fit the needs of each region.
Recommendations included marketing locally-caught shrimp on shrimp eating
tours in Myrtle Beach and building a shrimp visitor center in Beaufort that focuses
on the heritage of the local shrimp fishing industry (McElroy et al., 2005).
Results also suggested that locally and regionally owned restaurants on
the coast were more likely than national chain restaurants to purchase local
shrimp (Jodice et al., 2005). Therefore, results were integrated into training
workshops for South Carolina chefs about local shrimp and the development and
distribution of a chef booklet and a tourism booklet about local shrimp attributes
and purchasing regulations (Jodice, et al, 2005). The case studies featuring
coastal restaurants’ distribution systems for local shrimp are of particular interest
in this project as they relate to a current focus in business on the need for
effective food supply chains.
Food Supply Chains and Shrimp Distribution
The supply chain has become an important component of the food
business environment and can be defined as the network of organizations that
are linked to produce value to the customer in terms of products and services
(Christopher, 1992). These linkages are directed towards the need for the
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Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
development of effective and efficient production, movement, and transformation
of goods from the raw materials stage through to the consumer, as well as the
associated material information flows, upstream and downstream (Handfield and
Nichols, 1999). Effective supply chain management is the integration of these
activities though functional relationships to achieve a sustainable competitive
advantage.
Overall, companies are striving for the right product, at the right place, at
the right time (Larsen, 1997), and yet a major problem identified in many food
supply chains is that of uncertainty which includes such issues as late deliveries,
machine breakdowns, and order cancellations (Davis, 1993; van der Vorst,
Beulens, & van Beek, 2000). Using chilled salads as an example product,
researchers van der Vorst, Beulens, and van Beek, (2000) found that the main
sources of uncertainty include length of the order forecast horizon, information
availability and data timelines, decision-making policies used, and inherent
supply, process, and demand uncertainties in the supply chain. In another
example, that of a case study of potato farmers, a mix of economic, social, and
environmental factors associated with sustainability exerted considerable
influence on the supply chain as well (Vasileiou & Morris, 2006). Remedies to
reduce uncertainty and improve supply chain performance include diminishing
waiting and processing times; synchronizing, eliminating or reallocating business
processes; shortening cycle times and increasing the execution of business
processes; coordinating decision policies; implementing real-time information
systems; standardizing and implementing definition of supply chain metrics; and
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Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
creating information transparency in such areas as consumer demand
information and production schedules (van der Vorst, Beulens, & van Beek, 2000
Crises in the food industry such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
(BSE), foot- and-mouth disease, E coli infections due to contaminated spinach,
and salmonella found in peanut butter indicate the need to be able to identify all
of the steps in the food supply chains and to the importance of integrated control
and cooperation (van der Vorst & Beulen, 2002). Food from an unsafe source
has been found to be one of the top five reasons behind foodborne illnesses and
points to the importance of identifying reliable sources of food products
(Hernandez, 2006) and to the need for cooperative relationships within the food
supply chain.
Companies often find themselves having to cooperate with other
companies to make their food supply chains more effective (van der Vorst &
Beulens, 2002). Retailers seek to improve their supply chains to have the
competitive advantage and to improve food safety (Food Engineering, 2005), but
that advantage is temporary, because competitive forces are constantly changing
the
marketplace.
To
compete
in
this
era
of
temporary
advantage,
recommendations include focusing on the following:
1) insourcing and outsourcing - deciding whether to make or buy or
vertically integrate;
2) supplier selection - finding the best suppliers and partners; and
3) the contractual relationship - determining the customer relationship, be
it a joint venture, long-term contract, or strategic alliance (Doherty, 2001).
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Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
Basically, "the most successful companies will be those that take a
proactive approach to designing their supply chains and learning to collaborate
with other companies in their environment" (Doherty, 2001).
As Taylor and
Fearne (2006) noted in their paper proposing a framework for a food supply
chain from farm to fork, “more collaboration and information sharing and joint
planning beyond the manufacturer-retailer interface is critical if retail food supply
chains are to function efficiently and effectively in retail environments where
promotional activity creates significant uncertainty.”
In this technological era, supply chains not only deal with the supply of the
product itself, but also with the flow of information related to the product, and
many effective supply chains may seem more like circles, beginning and ending
with the customer. Wal-Mart is a leading retailer globally and it has succeeded
largely due to its highly competitive supply chain based on the flow of information
to and from the customer. As Thomas Friedman (2006) noted in his book, The
World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, Wal-Mart has been
effective primarily due to that fact that it replaces inventory with information,
redistributing goods to places where they are needed and keeping track of
customer behavior continuously. Wal-Mart effectively uses real-time information
technology to capture a staggering $130 billion of the $500 billion U.S. retail food
business (Doherty, 2006). To save money and improve logistics, Wal-Mart cuts
out wholesalers, buys directly from manufacturers, operates its own distribution
center, and has introduced RFID (radio frequency identification microchips) to
identify products (Friedman, 2006, p. 161). Dell Computer Company has also
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South Carolina Coastal Visitors: The Development of a Culinary Tourism Supply Chain. Submitted to
Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
used information to its advantage so that every computer has a customer before
it is built (Friedman, 2006, p. 154). In the twenty-first century, the implementation
of leaner more highly integrated supply chains, increased technology that allows
for the rapid flow of information, and an ever increasing amount of information
available throughout the supply chain are changing the way companies do
business, the way that consumers receive products, and the way that food supply
chains operate.
Specifically, a culinary or food tourism supply chain requires clear
communications and messages about the product to provide for different
purchasing opportunities (O’Halloran & Deale, 2004). One of the communication
issues related to food supply chains with fresh local products such as wild-caught
U.S. shrimp is that the product may lack visibility (Proforest & IIED, 2006). In
marketing terms, a product such as locally caught wild shrimp may need help
with positioning to reconceptualize the product to make it “different” in the eyes
of the consumer by focusing its “product, process, and place” to its advantage
(Ilbery, Morris, Buller, Maye, & Kneafsey, 2005). To this end, Wild American
Shrimp, Inc. (WASI) has engaged in significant advertising campaigns, even
posting ads in publications such as Delta Air and Coastal Living magazines.
Much of the advertising has worked to differentiate the shrimp product by its
source, encouraging people to buy shrimp from known rather than unknown
places and WASI has received funds from the federal government to help
promote the product (WASI, 2007).
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Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
According to O’Halloran and Deale (2004), several factors may also be
important for a more effective food supply chain operation for shrimp and related
tourism or for tourism related to other food products. These factors include the
need to: provide clear communications and messages about product and
ordering processes, foster the packaging of existing market ready and near
market ready products, initiate pilot projects to develop or initiate new tourism
food products, highlight best practices and recognize those partners that are
getting the job done, and identify branding opportunities for the food tourism
products. A typical food supply chain is shown in Figure 1 (O’Halloran, & Deale,
2004), and while this works conceptually for many products, special
considerations may have to be given to the supply chain components for U.S.
wild caught shrimp, due to the nature of the product and its processing.
Case studies concerning coastal restaurants’ distribution systems for local
shrimp revealed some interesting findings about their shrimp preferences and the
characteristics of their shrimp supply chains. Managers and chefs of locally and
regionally managed restaurants were more likely to purchase local shrimp, while
corporate owned restaurants made purchase decisions based on corporate
guidelines that did not involve buying local shrimp, although some did purchase
local shrimp if they could not get shrimp from their regular suppliers (Jodice, et al,
2005). Price was a major concern to restaurateurs, but restaurateurs purchasing
local shrimp generally did so because they believed the taste and quality were
superior to other products.
Some restaurants serving local shrimp have
developed ongoing relationships with local fishermen, shrimp dock owners, and
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South Carolina Coastal Visitors: The Development of a Culinary Tourism Supply Chain. Submitted to
Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
shrimp wholesalers, while others obtain local shrimp from family members
involved in the shrimp industry. Restaurateurs serving local shrimp may also
work with a local supplier who has freezer space and prefer local suppliers
because they can visit the supplier and also because they prefer to support the
local economy (Jodice, et al., 2005).
In the interviews for the case studies,
Restaurateurs identified several barriers to purchasing locally-caught shrimp.
They included: price, product availability, extra labor cost (as there is little
processing available in the state), inconsistent quality, difficulties in finding a local
supplier, and limited shelf life of local products (Jodice, et al., 2005).
Investigating connections between tourism and shrimp might prove useful
towards understanding how to remove these barriers through connections via the
shrimp supply chain and its interface with tourists.
Interfaces between the food supply chain and tourism are important as
culinary tourism is a growing market and no longer considered just a form of
alternative tourism, but rather it is becoming a viable sector of the travel and
tourism business (Du Rand & Heath, 2006, Crouch & Ritchie, 1999; Poon, 1993,
TIA, 2007).
According to Nation’s Restaurant News (2005), the growth of
culinary tourism reflects an outgrowth of the increased interest in dining out and
is no longer the domain of the “foodie” (a niche tourist with deep interests in food
and culinary events), but is moving into the mainstream of the American
population as a form of tourism. However, as Du Rand and Heath (2006) point
out, to be effective as a viable component of tourism in a destination area, the
market potential for food tourism must be assessed to determine the feasibility of
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Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
culinary tourism related to a specific product or groups of products. This study
attempted to find out more about the viability of positioning the local, wild-caught
shrimp industry as a potential feature of tourism in South Carolina.
Methods
Data used in this study were gathered through administration of the 2004
South Carolina Coastal Tourism Survey which consisted of a proportionate
stratified survey of coastal visitors who were systematically intercepted from July
through October, 2004 in four of the six counties of coastal South Carolina.
Addresses were collected at 27 tourist venues (n=831). The sampling proportion
was based on 2001-2002 visitor expenditures by county (TIA, 2003). The survey
was directed towards tourists visiting the Myrtle Beach, Charleston, or Beaufort
areas and used a food preference scale designed to identify subgroups of
culinary tourists related to their food and dining out preferences (Shenoy, 2005).
Participants were sent a ten page mail-back survey within two weeks after their
trip and 356 returned surveys were usable, for a response rate of 44.3 percent.
Of the 356 respondents, 86.5 percent (n=308) indicated that they ate shrimp and
were included in the supply chain analysis.
Findings
In an effort to find the most parsimonious models, a series of five stepwise
multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the influence of 28
shrimp attributes on the five different shrimp-tourism distribution options. To test
these relationships, respondents who eat shrimp were asked to rate on a scale of
1=strongly disagree to 5= strongly agree, if they would :
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South Carolina Coastal Visitors: The Development of a Culinary Tourism Supply Chain. Submitted to
Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
1) purchase freshly caught shrimp to bring home (mean=3.15, sd=1.27),
2) eat shrimp at local festivals and events (mean=3.48, sd=1.01),
3) time a visit to the South Carolina coast to when fresh locally harvested
shrimp is available (mean=2.78, sd=1.11),
4) use a travel guide with information on locations to purchase local
shrimp (mean=2.93, sd=1.13), and
5) order shrimp to be mailed to them from the shrimp locale that they
visited (mean=2.18, sd=.994).
The means and standard deviations of the 28 attributes, measured on a
scale of 1 = not important to 5 = extremely important are presented below:
o when the shrimp was caught (mean=3.73, sd=1.35)
o where the shrimp was caught (mean=2.88, sd=1.37)
o who caught the shrimp (mean=2.15, sd=1.27)
o harvested in an environmentally sustainable manner (mean=3.09,
sd=1.42)
o storage temperature since caught (mean=4.19, sd=1.15)
o government inspected (mean=3.75, sd=1.31)
o industry inspected (mean=3.78, sd=1.24)
o health safety (pollution) (mean=4.34, sd=.998)
o health
safety
(additives,
e.g.,
antibiotics
or
preservatives)
(mean=4.07, sd=1.17)
o certified organic (mean=2.74, sd=1.46)
o USA caught (mean=3.48, sd=1.38)
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Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
o state of origin (mean=3.06, sd=1.42)
o local wild-caught (mean=3.08, sd=1.35)
o local farm-raised (mean=2.68, sd=1.32)
o recommended by locals (mean=3.58, sd=1.23)
o supports local fishermen (mean=3.54, sd=1.25)
o fresh never frozen (mean=3.60, sd=1.28)
o in-season (mean=3.51, sd=1.24)
o premium quality (mean=4.02, sd=1.02)
o appearance (mean=4.21, sd=.866)
o nutritional value (mean=3.21, sd=1.22)
o low price (mean=3.40, sd=1.00)
o good value for the money (mean=3.75, sd=.935)
o size (mean=3.67, sd=.890)
o tastes good (mean=4.64, sd=.693)
o reputation of restaurant (mean=4.18, sd=.932)
o reputation of vendor/retailer (mean=3.96, sd=1.10)
o and a regional shrimp brand name (mean=2.96, sd=1.33)
Results of the analyses revealed that the following attributes were
significant predictors of bringing home freshly caught shrimp (F=11.59, p<.01,
r2=.166):
o supporting local fisherman (beta=.256)
o local wild-caught (beta=.169)
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Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
o reputation of a restaurant (beta=.161)
o low price (beta=.133
Supporting local fisherman (beta=.231) was the only significant predictor of
eating fresh shrimp at local festivals and events (F=13.21, p<.01, r2=.053). The
following attributes significantly predicted visitors timing their visit to the South
Carolina coast when fresh locally harvested shrimp is available (F=14.40, p<.01,
r2=.201):
o supporting local fisherman (beta=.324),
o nutritional value (beta=.305),
o size (beta=-.143) and
o government inspection (beta=-.138).
Supporting local fisherman (beta=.314) was also the only significant predictor of
having a travel guide with information on locations to purchase local shrimp
(F=25.71, p<.01, r2=.099). Lastly, supporting local fishermen (beta=.308) and
size (beta=-.144) were the only significant attributes in predicting interest in
ordering shrimp to be mailed to tourists from where they visited (F=11.44, p<.01,
r2=.089).
Implications and Recommendations
The stepwise multiple regression models revealed that four different
combinations of shrimp attributes significantly influenced the five shrimp-tourism
food supply chain scenarios. Individually, supporting local fisherman was
revealed to be the most important attribute, having a significant positive influence
on visitors’ interest in bringing freshly caught shrimp home, eating fresh shrimp at
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local celebrations, timing their visit to the coast, using a travel guide, and having
shrimp shipped to them from their vacation destination. In terms of the culinary
or food supply chain for local shrimp, the findings suggest that furthering
relationships between local fishermen and tourists would help promote the local
product. The Beaufort Shrimp Festival, for example, works closely with the local
chamber of commerce and the local shrimp industry to promote the product and
more opportunities to highlight local fishermen could prove beneficial (Jodice et
al., 2005).
The attributes locally wild-caught shrimp and low price were also
significant predictors in bringing home freshly caught shrimp and nutritional value
was influential in visitors timing their visit to the coast. Since these properties
were seen favorably by tourists it appears that further efforts to highlight the
qualities of local shrimp would prove positive, indicating the importance of
integration between the shrimp and tourism industries. As Jodice et al. (2005)
noted, genuine partnerships between the chambers of commerce and the local
shrimp industry can benefit both the local shrimp industry and local tourism.
Interestingly, reputation of a restaurant, size, and government inspection had an
inverse relationship with visitors’ interest in taking home locally harvested shrimp,
timing their visit, and having shrimp mailed to their home.
Conclusions and Further Research
Food and tourism go together naturally and locally-caught shrimp might be
a food that could be effectively marketed strategically through the connection to
tourism.
Providing shrimp directly to consumers via a variety of different
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Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
distribution channels may enhance the tourism image of an area and may offer
supply chain channels for achieving a premium price. It has been suggested that
farmers may need to get closer to their markets to survive and perhaps the same
can be said for the shrimp industry. Locally-caught shrimp do appear to be of
interest to tourists, however, perhaps further attempts need to be made to
provide multiple opportunities for people to buy fresh shrimp at coastal venues.
Higher visibility of local shrimp in coastal areas through farmers’ markets or in
this case seafood markets might provide more opportunities for shrimp fishermen
to sell their products and for tourists to buy them (Pendrous, 2003). Farmers’
markets have increased in popularity as a means to provide opportunities for
consumers to buy directly from local producers and possibly similar seafood
markets might improve the visibility of local shrimp and offer more occasions to
make the product available to consumers. Making local shrimp available through
multiple market outlets in coastal areas may improve product visibility.
Vertical coordination in the shrimp supply chain, which lies between
complete vertical integration and open markets, may also improve the prospects
of selling local shrimp. Vertical cooperation requires successful partnerships
between producers, marketers, sellers, and perhaps other newly created
positions, for example liaisons between the shrimp fishermen and the sales
venues. Successful partnerships need: clear benefits for all partners, a good
strategic fit between partners, the involvement of all management levels, and
organizational flexibility (Ziggers & Trieneken, 1999). Shrimp supply chains that
include a variety of partners including those with innovative, entrepreneurial
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South Carolina Coastal Visitors: The Development of a Culinary Tourism Supply Chain. Submitted to
Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
ideas may assist the locally caught wild shrimp industry in becoming a business
with a product of choice by consumers (Beckeman & Skjoldebrand, 2007). A
carefully coordinated and integrated food supply chain may be helpful for
increasing the amount of shrimp purchased by coastal visitors and for improving
the sustainability of the local shrimp industry.
Support for local fishermen was a particularly important attribute in the
study and attention to this particular component of the shrimp industry may
perhaps be addressed through the idea of promoting “social capital” and
connecting the consumer more closely to the shrimp supply chain through
multiple activities suggested by Jodice et al. (2005), increasing the information
level of consumers regarding local products (Vasilieou & Morris, 2006), and
carefully considering the locally-caught shrimp supply chain. A locally-caught
shrimp supply chain might look like the one in Figure 2.
In the supply chain in Figure 2, shrimp fishermen catch local shrimp and
then either process it in their own operations (by packing fresh shrimp in ice) or
take it to local processors and then transport it directly to retail outlets or
restaurants or other sales venues. Processing at the local level in South Carolina
is primarily limited to heading, and icing (using layers of ice cubes) of fresh, notfrozen shrimp or freezing shrimp in blocks of ice. The dock owners themselves
often pack shrimp in bins layered with ice cubes. In South Carolina, there are
currently two docks that have larger facilities that can process the shrimp into
frozen blocks. Processing shrimp can include IQF (individually quick frozen)
procedures that allow the product to last longer in freezers. This process is
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South Carolina Coastal Visitors: The Development of a Culinary Tourism Supply Chain. Submitted to
Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
conducted by processors of imported farm raised shrimp and this is why farmed
imported shrimp is often preferred in food service operations. By using these
products, the chef can selectively thaw just enough shrimp for a meal, and the
product lasts longer. There is none or very limited IQF processing available at
the local level in South Carolina, hence, fresh local shrimp often means only
shrimp that has been processed through icing; other packaging that might extend
its shelf life is being explored for example by food scientists at Clemson
University, but as far as the authors could tell it is not currently being utilized.
A link in the chain pictured in Figure 2 that has perhaps not been utilized
previously is someone who may act as a shrimp liaison to provide a conduit to a
variety of sales locations such as festivals, seafood or farmer’s markets, seafood
stalls or carts, or other tourism-related sales sites. These sales venues may in
turn offer opportunities for consumers to buy online or via an 800 number once
they leave the coastal area. While current supply chain trends appear to be
cutting out wholesalers, as is the case with giant retailers like Wal-Mart, the use
of a shrimp liaison might prove helpful towards increasing customer awareness
of the product, improving the information flow about the wild-caught shrimp
product, and acting as a sort of shrimp and tourism industry or culinary tourism
ambassador.
In addition, a careful analysis of the shrimp supply chain may be
warranted to enhance not only the actual distribution of the product but its
perceived availability and to establish the particular goals of the supply chain so
that the supply chain may be modified and adapted to meet the needs of the
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Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
local shrimp industry and the consumer (Apaiah, Hendrix, Merdink, Linneman,
2005). In the dynamic climate of the food business today, it is becoming
increasingly important to study the integration of an entire food supply chain
rather than one part in isolation (Springer & Hall, 2007) and the same might be
said for the supply chain for local wild shrimp.
As mentioned earlier, culinary tourism represents a growing market and is
no longer considered just as an alternative form of tourism, but rather it is
becoming a viable sector of the mainstream travel and tourism business (Du
Rand & Heath, 2006, Crouch & Ritchie, 1999; Poon, 1993, TIA, 2007). U.S.
locally caught wild shrimp may benefit as a product from this trend through the
promotion of local foods for their taste, freshness, uniqueness, and sustainability.
Therefore, developing a culinary tourism marketing strategy that interfaces with
the supply chain for a regional food such as locally-caught shrimp becomes a
shared venture between tourism organizations, producers, processors, and in the
end, consumers.
This study found that coastal visitors are sensitive to the sustainability of
the state’s shrimp fishing tradition and that both the shrimp and tourism industries
in coastal South Carolina need to communicate how purchasing locally harvested
shrimp supports local fisherman as well as its nutritional value, affordability,
taste, and that it is local and wild-caught. As proposed and piloted by Clemson
researchers (Jodice et al., 2005), educational experiences and materials
provided to those involved in marketing tourism and to the public may help to
increase the awareness, understanding, and appreciation of locally -caught
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Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 6(1).
shrimp. Further analysis of the survey data is also needed to explore what media
and information sources should be utilized by the different shrimp-tourism food
supply chain alternatives to effectively tell the story of South Carolina’s shrimp
industry and appropriate product attributes; WASI , and its informative website
are already trying to share this story.
Additional questions arising from this analysis include:
1) How can supply chain considerations benefit the shrimp industry and
tourism?
2) How can greater integration of the local shrimp industry and tourism be
achieved?
3) How can the local marketing of local wild-caught shrimp and related
experiences to
tourists contribute to the survival and sustainability of the
shrimp industry on the South Carolina coast?
Answers to these questions may hold keys to the sustainability of the local
shrimp industry and provide further opportunities for coastal tourism.
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