Strengthening Farmers–Hotel Supply Chain Relationships: A Service Management Approach

Abstract

The alternative development paradigm promotes tourism inter-sectoral linkages to achieve a more sustainable form of development. Agriculture and tourism linkages are generally described as a means of distributing tourism benefits to host communities. The supply of local food to hotels is one channel in which these linkages can be facilitated. For decades, research has found farmers–hotel supply chain relationships to be weak resulting in economic leakages due to high food importation to support the tourism sector. A framework within which these linkages can be strengthened is proposed. Instead of the traditional cost-driven transactional management of hotel supply chains, a service-oriented farmers–hotel supply chain is proposed. This approach places a greater value on local food as it becomes part of the visitors' service experience. Strengthened linkages using local food are expected to contribute to solving socio-economic challenges such as: unemployment among the rural poor, low income of farmers, food insecurity and poverty.