Taste of Funen : designing a sustainable journey through local food and culture

Abstract

This thesis examines how Funen’s food culture can be transformed into a coherent and sustainable food tourism route. The study focuses on the region’s culinary sources, stakeholder perspectives and the principles needed to design meaningful visitor experiences. The work is demarcated by the island of Funen and to qualitative stakeholder insights. The objective of the thesis is to identify Funen’s gastronomic strengths, understand stakeholder perceptions of opportunities and challenges and determine the sustainability and collaboration requirements necessary for responsible route development.

The theoretical framework integrates three complementary lenses: food tourism and culinary heritage, experience design and sustainability with local collaboration. These theories clarify how local food functions as cultural identity (heritage), how visitor experiences can be shaped through meaningful engagement (experience design) and how long-term development depends on shared responsibility and coordinated practices (sustainability). Together, they provide an interpretive structure for analyzing stakeholder narratives and linking individual viewpoints to broader destination development processes.

A qualitative, constructivist approach was applied. Empirical data were generated through seven semi-structured interviews with local producers, hospitality actors and tourism stakeholders during the autumn of 2025. The material was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase process. Themes were developed through iterative coding, refinement and interpretation.

The findings show that everyday authenticity, seasonal rhythms and emotionally grounded food traditions form the core of Funen’s culinary identity. Stakeholders emphasize that visitors value calmness, informality and opportunities for genuine interaction. However, the development of a coherent route is limited by fragmentation, uneven capacity, limited coordination and the lack of a shared narrative. The study concludes that strengthened collaboration, coordinated leadership, a unified storyline and a commitment to sustainability are essential for developing a meaningful and responsible food tourism route.