Abstract ID: 3.12457 | Accepted as Talk | Talk | TBA | TBA

Agriculture has witnessed rapid decline in Murree due to shift from agriculture to tourism sector that is considered to offer better incomes. This negative impact of tourism on agriculture is more pronounced in areas where technological adoption is inadequate and generational succession issues exacerbate vulnerability to tourism pressures. Culinary tourism is a relatively new phenomenon in Murree where lots of new restaurants attract tourists for a variety of cuisine. Culinary tourism often promotes industrial agricultural products, which can dilute the authenticity of local cuisines. This new demand of culinary tourism also impacts the local agriculture. Agri-food tourism is on the rise in Murree in pockets with cultivation of non-traditional crops e.g. broccoli, avocado, cherry etc. Although it can improve the farm earnings and promote the green circular economy by supplying local products to culinary market, it has potential to affect the traditional cuisine by discouraging production of indigenous food crops. Agri-food tourism can also serve to revalue traditional foods. The study analyzes the recent trends of agri-food tourism in Murree and evaluates the potential of indigenous food and culinary in booming culinary tourism. This study employs a mixed-methods approach to explore the relationship between agri-food tourism, culinary tourism, and local agriculture. Purposive sampling will be used to select farmers engaged in both traditional and non-traditional crop cultivation, restaurant owners participating in culinary tourism, and key stakeholders (local government officials, agricultural experts, and tourism authorities). Data from surveys, interviews, and field observations will be cross-verified to ensure reliability and accuracy. This approach will help identify overlaps and discrepancies between stakeholders’ perspectives. Finding shall enable policy makers to devise appropriate strategies for the promotion of culinary tourism by introducing indigenous cuisine and strengthening local food productions through agri-tourism for the sustainable development of tourism in the area.