When you walk the trail, you start to fantasize about food, right? Teleologies and understandings of hikers’ meal practices while hiking in Arctic Sweden

• Published in: Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
• Main Author: Sundqvist, Joachim
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Umeå universitet, Institutionen för kost- och måltidsvetenskap 2022
• Subjects: Backpacking; Hiking; Meal practice; Social practice theory; Other Social Sciences; Annan samhällsvetenskap; Arctic
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-201638; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2022.100592

Food and eating while travelling are important to, and an intrinsic part of, the holistictourism experience. However, in some tourism contexts, e.g., mountain hiking, groupsof tourists import their own food to the destination and thus distance themselves fromlocal food cultures. This study aimed to explore the sensemaking of mountain hikers in Arctic Sweden vis-à-vis their meal practices. Twelve hikers, engaged in medium to longdistance hiking were interviewed at different trailheads along the Kungsleden trail. Theinterviews were analyzed thematically and interpreted through a practice theoreticallens. Results showed that the eating event were negotiated through two distinctphenomena. Food consumption, as social motivated, and the physical attributesmediated by the environment. These phenomena were, when interpreted through asocial practice theoretical lens, conceived as parts of two, distinct, teleological end-projects structures within the practice. The teleological ends, pursued by the hikers,were that of energizing the body, and that of having an enjoyable experience. Howhikers’ make sense of their meals could have managerial implications for tourismdestination managers and local food entrepreneurs as it provides insight into thecontextual drivers of thus meals, thus facilitating engagement with a wider market.