TOURISM leaders have been given a battering – for not embracing the deep-fried Mars Bar.
University academics have carried out a bizarre study which claims VisitScotland bosses are missing a trick by not using the greasy snack to pull visitors to Scotland.
The academics – in a report packed with impenetrable high-brow language – have accused the tourism body of being obsessed with a chocolate-box vision of Scotland.
They claim the national tourism agency is just too snooty to use deep fried Mars Bars as greasy tourist bait, and that they choose to focus instead on posher fare like whisky and salmon.
However, according to boffins at the University of the Highlands and Islands in Fort William, the fat-packed snack offers “a moment of transgressive possibility” that could help provide a boon in the same way wine and cheese has for France.
The university team – led by human geographer Dr Anna de Jong – insists the deep-fried Mars Bar is a cultural icon that could draw in extra foreign visitors.
The study – published in the journal Tourism Management – cites online messages from foreign holidaymakers keen to track down and sample the delicacy.
It states: “Tourists often seek out encounters with the chippy and the deep-fried Mars Bar as part of their Scottish experience.
“These findings suggest a need for policy makers to turn attention to the complexities of tourists’ culinary encounters, which point to potentially-missed opportunities in promoting the nuances of the Scottish food landscape.
“The complexity of these understandings remain absent so long as policy makers remain focused on the economics of attracting a perceived, high-spending middle-class tourist.”
In short, push the deep-fried Mars Bars and more tourists may come here.
Lorraine Watson is the current owner of the Carron Fish Bar where the treat was invented in 1992 and now sells up to 150 of the 1200- calorie treats a week. She thinks the report authors may be on to something.
She said: “It’s about time somebody stuck up for the deep-fried Mars Bar.
“Everybody gets so po-faced about fat and sugar but it’s not the locals who are mostly buying them, it’s the tourists. It’s a silly thing that’s on their ‘to-do list’ when they come to Scotland. They tick the box to say they’ve done it.
“And we are part of the local economy because, along with the castle, the deep-fried Mars Bar is what tourists come to Stonehaven for. Scotland is about history and fun.
“We’ve got the beauty and the scenery but we’ve also got great people with warmth and humour and we shouldn’t be seen to be taking ourselves so seriously.”
Celebrity chef Nick Nairn has been known to refer to the deep-fried Mars Bar as “a millstone round the neck of Scottish cooking”.
VisitScotland chief executive Malcolm Roughead has previously branded deep-fried Mars Bars “a far cry from the rich and varied culinary delights which can be enjoyed during a trip to Scotland today”.
But, last night, the tourism boss appeared to offer an olive branch to fans of the snack.
Mr Roughead said: “There is no doubt that, while not synonymous with healthy eating, the deep-fried Mars Bar enjoys a cult following among visitors to Scotland, offering something a little bit different for those with a sweet tooth.
“Just like attractions and accommodation providers, Scotland’s wide range of restaurants – and their respective menus – have an important role to play in the country’s visitor economy.”
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