CULINARY HERITAGE AND DESTINATION IDENTITY IN MULTI-ETHNIC TOURISM CONTEXTS: A CRITICAL NARRATIVE SYNTHESIS WITH FOCUS ON MALAYSIA

Abstract

Culinary heritage has become an important resource in contemporary tourism, functioning as an intangible cultural asset, experiential attraction, and marker of destination identity. In multi-ethnic societies such as Malaysia, heritage food carries deeper cultural meanings because it reflects migration, interethnic exchange, religious practices, local memory, and everyday community identity. Despite growing scholarly interest in gastronomy and food tourism, existing studies remain fragmented. Much of the literature is still dominated by consumer-based surveys that focus on food quality, satisfaction, destination image, and behavioral intention, while giving limited attention to governance structures, stakeholder networks, and socio-political issues that shape how culinary heritage is selected, promoted, preserved, and institutionalized. Adopting a critical narrative synthesis approach, this study examines contemporary and seminal literature on culinary heritage, destination identity, food tourism governance, and Malaysia’s multi-ethnic tourism context. Through this analysis, five main thematic domains were identified: conceptualization and branding of culinary heritage; stakeholder collaboration and governance; tourist behavior and destination image; ethnic and socio-political inclusion; and Halal governance. The synthesis reveals two key gaps. First, there is weak integration between macro-level tourism policy and grassroots culinary practices. Second, existing research relies heavily on short-term empirical studies, with limited attention to long-term heritage preservation and inclusive governance. In response, this study proposes an integrative conceptual framework that links institutional policy, stakeholder collaboration, and tourist perceptions through a dynamic feedback system. The framework positions culinary heritage as a living cultural resource, a governance challenge, and a strategic asset for destination identity. It also highlights the need for future research that is longitudinal, inclusive, and cross-cultural to better understand culinary heritage management in multi-ethnic tourism destinations.