Urban destination foodscapes : Developing culinary tourism through clusters and localhood in Copenhagen

The interest in urban tourism has increased lately, both among visitors and in research. In new urban tourism, some significant tendencies are identified: blurring traditional categories of tourists, changes in tourism culture, and spatial change. These tendencies are based on structural change and relevant for understanding current urban destination development. In short, a large variety of visitors to cities are looking for authentic experiences outside traditional tourist districts; everyday life in local communities becomes part of tourist experiences. Also, these spaces become a new sort of local communities, centred around common interests, such as local food. They become spaces where tourists and locals meet, and rural and urban values intertwine.The destination development strategy of Copenhagen articulates these tendencies, for example, by addressing visitors as temporary locals. This chapter explores the role of foodscapes as parts of current destination development. We view the culinary scene of Copenhagen in a cluster perspective, where clusters in different geographical scales (districts, themed hotspots, events and guided tours) together make up the culinary destination. These clusters thrive on the interplay between local sophisticated demand and interest from visitors. The role of the new Nordic Cuisine stands out as an important driver of innovation and international attention. The study particularly shows the importance of locally cased communities, localhood, for sustaining the foodscapes and thereby also being able to invite visitors.