Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The thesis investigates how restaurant professionals in Scania, Sweden, integrate sustainability into their daily routines and communicate these efforts to guests to shape gastronomic tourism in the region. The study examines how everyday culinary operations influence local perceptions and attract tourists to Scania’s unique foodscape. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative
approach, drawing data from semi-structured interviews with professionals across eight selected restaurants within Scania. Using Social Practice Theory (SPT) as an analytical framework, the empirical findings are categorized through the interconnected dimensions of materials, competencies, and meanings. The analysis reveals that sustainability is not a set of isolated individual choices, but a collection of socially embedded practices woven into everyday kitchen work. Material elements– including local and seasonal products, kitchen equipment, and supplier networks- dictate operational limits while strengthening the local economy through the procurement of goods and services from regional producers and suppliers. Competencies such as culinary skills, adaptive creativity, and specialized knowledge translate sustainability goals into physical realities. Meanwhile, the dimension of meaning links these routines to deeper cultural values, including authenticity, regional pride, and destination identity. The study demonstrates that restaurateurs act as vital agents in sustainable gastronomic tourism by actively shaping guest experiences, consumption habits, and perceptions of local food culture. However, these practices are constantly challenged by operational realities, such as seasonal and climatic barriers, economic pressures, and fragmented supply chain infrastructures. Ultimately, this thesis provides a dual contribution. First, it offers practical insights by demonstrating that sustainable gastronomic tourism is an ongoing, socially organized practice that must be embedded directly into the organizational structure of restaurants. Second, it extends the theoretical reach of Social Practice Theory within the hospitality literature by illustrating how sustainability is enacted through the interconnected dimensions of materials, competencies, and meanings.