Food Security and Tourism: Reflecting on Food Waste in the Hospitality Industry

Abstract

Food plays a crucial role in tourism, but unfortunately, many tourism models prioritize visitor satisfaction at the expense of wasteful tendencies. Around 931 million tons of food is wasted annually, which seriously impacts global food security. This chapter aims to analyze the literature concerning the relation between food security and tourism, with particular attention to food wastage in the hospitality and restaurant industries. The findings show how tourism can contribute to enhancing destination food security and highlight the role of food wastage in the hotel industry and its effects on food security. The chapter also outlines various strategies that have been proposed to reduce food wastage in hotels based on existing literature.