Sugar Heritage and Tourism in Transition

Sugar as a global commodity has shaped our world, impacting cultures and influencing cuisine. The heritage of sugar is investigated in the context of globalization and tourism development. Facets of the sugar story include colonization, enslavement, decolonization and postcolonial tourism while cultural practices traced to sugar include carnival and confectionery as souvenirs. However, what happens where sugar is still produced, where production is in decline, or where the country has exited from producing? How is sugar engrained in national identities and how does this influence tourism? From the perspectives of contributing authors, destination examples include Brazil, India, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Barbados, Cuba, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts. This is the first work examining sugar heritage in relation to tourism from a global perspective, identifying related tourism directions.

Sugar as a global commodity has shaped our world, impacting cultures and influencing cuisine. The heritage of sugar is investigated in the context of globalization and tourism development. Facets of the sugar story include colonization, enslavement, decolonization and postcolonial tourism while cultural practices traced to sugar include carnival and confectionery as souvenirs. However, what happens where sugar is still produced, where production is in decline, or where the country has exited from producing? How is sugar engrained in national identities and how does this influence tourism? From the perspectives of contributing authors, destination examples include Brazil, India, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Barbados, Cuba, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts. This is the first work examining sugar heritage in relation to tourism from a global perspective, identifying related tourism directions.