Exploring the Impact of Malaysia's Culinary Heritage on Tourism and Economic Development

Local cuisine, including culinary heritage, is frequently seen as the foundation of destination/place marketing strategies to forge strong local economies and foster a sense of destination/place. This research investigates the culinary heritage themes, focusing on a multi-ethnic country like Malaysia, to market the country in driving local tourism industry and economic growth. A comprehensive analysis of academic literature triangulated with secondary data was employed in this research. Results indicated that local flavours are often highlighted to promote Malaysia’s culinary heritage and identity. Hence, future research could delve deeper into marketing strategies within the multi-ethnic, place/destination, and culinary heritage tourism industries.