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More than Food? Promoting the Countryside to Tourists using Local Food Productions in Italy
Abstract
This paper aims to explore, through a case-study approach, combining content analysis of written promotional materials and a survey directed to rural tourism entrepreneurs, how local food productions are presented and offered to tourists in Campania and Tuscany. It is argued that rural tourism entrepreneurs, namely the ones directly connected with accommodation supply could play a paramount role in using and diffusing particular features of rurality through the mobilization of specific symbols and material elements, which in the tourists’ imaginary correspond to the ‘typical’ countryside. Despite the central position of local food productions in the overall tourism offer and in promoting rural areas as unique destinations, evidence suggests that its character and its connection to local territories are seldom putted in evidence. Keywords: connections between food products and tourism, local food productions, promotional materials, rural tourism.
... Food is considered as a relevant part of territories' cultural heritage and identity, reflecting both material and immaterial aspects, such as the biophysical conditions, main agricultural productions, activities, traditions and knowledge (Bèssiere, 1998;Fonte, 2008;Montanari & Staniscia, 2009;Sims, 2009;Hong & Tsai, 2012). In this sense, food is more than just food as it places people (producers, distributors, and consumers) in a particular cultural order and social universe (Bèssiere, 1998;Figueiredo, 2013b). Therefore, food may be considered an important patrimony of a given community, region or country. ...
... As pointed in the previous section, food may be considered more than just food (Bèssiere, 1998;Figueiredo, 2013b) given its role in placing a vast set of people (consumers, producers, distributors, retailers) in particular biophysical and social universes, from which food products acquire their specific character whereas expressing the savoir-faire and the cultural values and practices towards foodstuffs. As put forth by Bèssiere (1998), agricultural products and the ways they are transformed, prepared and presented are part of the culture and traditions of a community and closely linked to the territory. ...
... Although the emphasis is on the products' promotion, i.e., on food itself, stores also highlight the more than food character of these products, linking them with specific territories and immaterial characteristics hence stressing their cultural and identity dimensions which emphasizes the role of food as heritage and patrimony (in line with what has been discussed in the second section). This promotion of foodstuffs also relies on the highlighting of food as an identity marker and a factor of regional and national distinction, following what is referred, among other authors, by Flores (1995); Bèssiere (1998Bèssiere ( , 2013; Fonte (2008); Sims (2009);Figueiredo (2013b) and Figueiredo and Brochot (2017 Figure 5. Tag cloud of the 50 more frequently referred words in the whole content of the Lisbon specialty food stores' websites In this respect, it is worthwhile noting the differences amongst the various types of stores considered, regarding the whole content of their websites ( Figure 8). As we may observe, the Department Store considered in the analysis, besides red and white wine, cheese, sweets, chocolate and biscuits, seem to emphasise the gourmet character of the products sold. ...
The aim of this chapter is to reflect on rural provenance food as cultural heritage, discussing at the same time its contribution to promoting rural development and renewed rural-urban connections in Portugal. This chapter takes a selection of urban retailers (the so-called gourmet or specialized stores) located in Lisbon, Portugal, as the starting point of the discussion. In fact, in commercializing rural food products—generally perceived as higher quality and presenting unique characteristics—urban retailers are selling a piece of the countryside, a piece of specific terroirs, a piece of cultural identity, and a particular vision of the world and savoir-faire. Based on the content analysis of the stores' promotional materials, it is possible to conclude that a growing gourmetization and heritagization in the commercialization of rural provenance food products is taking place in urban contexts. The promotion of foodstuffs held by the stores also relies on the claim that provenance matters, whether that provenance is portrayed as local, regional, or national.
... Comida e gastronomia são elementos proeminentes da configuração da cultura e identidade de um território (Figueiredo, 2013), assim como da ligação dos indivíduos a determinados locais (Truninger, 2014). Os produtos alimentares locais emergem como um elemento chave da experiência turística, sendo apontados como um possível fator de desenvolvimento de territórios periféricos e cada vez mais sendo usados enquanto ferramentas de comunicação e de criação de imagens de marca (de Salvo et al. 2013). ...
Nas três últimas décadas algumas transformações dos sistemas agroalimentares, como o
crescimento do poder dos grandes retalhistas sobre os sistemas de produção e
distribuição alimentar e a diminuição dos retornos das inovações tecnológicas, têm
pressionado os pequenos produtores e retalhistas e colocado em causa a sustentabilidade
das suas atividades. Mais recentemente, mudanças nas representações e práticas dos
consumidores acerca da qualidade alimentar têm vindo a criar oportunidades em alguns
segmentos do negócio agroalimentar, já não através de uma competição baseada no
preço e na quantidade mas antes por uma revalorização da qualidade e da diferenciação
dos produtos. Estas últimas podem identificar-se a nível das práticas agrícolas e de
transformação de alimentos, por exemplo na revalorização de práticas artesanais ou
ambientalmente sustentáveis, mas também a nível de inovações nas próprias cadeias de
distribuição, através de circuitos curtos de distribuição e valorização do pequeno retalho
alimentar especializado.
Dada a origem predominantemente urbana dos consumidores e a crescente importância
do comércio de proximidade nas compras do dia-a-dia é importante compreender as
oportunidades que as lojas alimentares especializadas podem proporcionar na promoção
e valorização de produtos de origem rural, assim como o tipo de ligações que podem
criar ou reativar entre stakeholders (retalhistas, distribuidores, produtores e
consumidores) e entre o rural e o urbano. Neste sentido, é importante conhecer as
principais características deste comércio especializado, sobretudo num contexto – como
é o caso de Portugal – em que se caracteriza pela escassez e pouca atualidade da
informação sobre este tipo de estabelecimentos comerciais.
Esta comunicação visa apresentar os procedimentos e resultados preliminares de um
levantamento e tipificação dos estabelecimentos que vendem produtos agroalimentares
portugueses de origem rural, localizados em contexto urbano (Aveiro, Lisboa e Porto).
Considerando alguns critérios relevantes para investigação e cruzando várias fontes,
constituiu-se uma base de dados provisória que serviu de suporte a um inquérito por
questionário em lojas nos municípios daquelas cidades. Procurando apresentar as
principais conclusões da análise à informação recolhida, a comunicação procura
contribuir para a discussão do papel que estas lojas podem ter na promoção e
valorização do interior rural.
... Within this rural tourism experience context, local food assumes a sometimes outstanding role (Sidali, Kastenholz & Bianchi, 2013), being also frequently, eventually excessively, used as an attractive icon of the rural in the respective promotional material (Figueiredo, 2013). Local food is frequently linked to the ideal of safer and healthier food consumption, while also associated to authenticity, local culture and identity, since ingredients are generally perceived as being locally produced and/or transformed in the rural territories where tourists spend their holidays, as being produced by small farmers and not the large-scale agro-industry and by using traditional processes. ...
... Within this rural tourism experience context, local food assumes a sometimes outstanding role (Sidali, Kastenholz & Bianchi, 2013), being also frequently, eventually excessively, used as an attractive icon of the rural in the respective promotional material (Figueiredo, 2013). Local food is frequently linked to the ideal of safer and healthier food consumption, while also associated to authenticity, local culture and identity, since ingredients are generally perceived as being locally produced and/or transformed in the rural territories where tourists spend their holidays, as being produced by small farmers and not the large-scale agro-industry and by using traditional processes. ...
... population decrease, ageing, economic decline). Not only to preserve the patrimonial and cultural value of local foods, that are vehicles of rural memories and identities (see Béssiere, 1998;Brunori, 2007;Figueiredo, 2013 andFonte, 2008) but also because there is a considerable potential for this family relations between rural and urban areas to establish local food systems where social embeddedness has a important role to play (Hinrichs, 2000;Murdoch, Marsden and Banks, 2000). And, finally, at the same time, establishing patterns of consumption behaviour with different origin labelled products based on the acceptance and the feeling of 'being protecting' the 'local', 'quality' and 'endogenous' food systems (Van der Ploeg, 1997). ...
... Como já referido, particularmente nas áreas rurais mais remotas, as práticas orientadas para o consumo do rural têm ganho bastante expressão, principalmente por parte das populações urbanas que, frequentemente, possuem uma visão idílica destas áreas e dos seus atributos e qualidades . Alguns aspetos da ruralidade assumem particular relevo nesta visão, como por exemplo a representação ou idealização dos modos de vida rurais, a perceção da maior qualidade ambiental, a conservação das paisagens tradicionais, as genuínas características arquitetónicas e a autenticidade dos produtos agroalimentares (Bell, 2006;Crouch, 2006;Figueiredo, 2009;Figueiredo, 2013b;Figueiredo et al., 2013;Halfacree, 2007). ...
An analysis of the relevant tourism literature and the promotional material of various destinations indicate that the role of food in the marketing of destinations has until recently received very little attention globally and locally. All indications, however, are that local food holds much potential to enhance sustainability in tourism; contribute to the authenticity of the destination; strengthen the local economy; and provide for the environmentally friendly infrastructure. This paper will highlight the key findings of the preliminary study regarding the utilization of food as a key or supportive attraction by destination-marketing organizations in South Africa. Guidelines for the future development, packaging and marketing of local and regional foods will be postulated and proposals for future research will be outlined.
Abstract It has become,fashionable to conceptualiserecent shifts in agrarian priorities as a „post- productivist‟ transition from a previously „productivist‟ agriculture. This notion has become,more popular throughout the 1990s as a way to capture in one convenient package the complex,changes experienced by both the agricultural sector specifically and rural areas more generally. However, the widespread and uncritical use of such an all- encompassing,term is rather surprising given debates elsewhere in human geography,on the rejection of dualistic thinking. Yet, in agricultural and rural studies, the active creation and reinforcement of a productivist / post-productivist dualism has emerged,as a means of explaining the uneven development,of rural areas. This paper develops a critique of post-productivism to demonstrate its invalidity, presenting empirical evidence to refute five supposed characteristics relating to quality food, pluriactivity;
This paper is the result of research undertaken into the relationship between quality agriculture and wine-and-food tourism on the Apennines of central and southern Italy. Food is not merely a source of nourishment: depending on production methods, food can also become a cultural reference point, an element of regional development and a tourist resource. This occurs with “local” food, representing a model of production and consumption which suggests a strong link with the region in which the food is produced. In the marginal mountainous regions of central Italy, there is an important productive segment involving motivated and innovative entrepreneurs, regardless of the public sector that is not always up to the situation. Tourism linked to quality agriculture has not only proved to be an economic lever but a form of protection of a territory that is fragile and at risk; it is a sort of contemporary sustainable development. The process is at the initial phases and in need of public support according to a bottom-up approach.
Local and regional food holds great potential to contribute to sustainable competitiveness in a destination. An analysis of the literature and promotional material of South African and key international destinations, however, indicate that the contribution of food to sustainable tourism and the marketing of destinations has received very little attention globally, as well as in South Africa. A framework and guidelines for developing and implementing food tourism could enable destination marketers and entrepreneurs to optimise the tourism potential of local and regional food. To this end a food tourism destination-marketing framework was conceptualised, which was based on the findings of a South African situation analysis and international trends and best practices. The South African situation analysis entailed an empirical investigation among regional and provincial destination marketing organisations to determine the current status and future potential and food tourism initiatives as a key component of destination marketing in South Africa. To support the food tourism destination marketing framework, two key tools were developed, namely TOURPAT (a tourism and culinary atlas linked to a geospatial database) and PAT (a product potential and attractiveness tool). The framework and tools were tested in a South African destination and provided the stakeholders with mechanisms to develop and implement food tourism. This paper outlines the key components and an evaluation of the framework and tools that have been developed. Guidelines and recommendations for the development, packaging and marketing of local and regional foods are postulated. Proposals for future research are also outlined.
This article examines the dynamics of knowledge in the valorisation of local food, drawing on the results from the CORASON project (A ‘cognitive approach to rural sustainable development the dynamics of expert and lay knowledge’). It is based on the analysis of several in-depth case studies on food relocalisation carried out in 10 European countries (Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Poland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Greece). In the different fields of rural studies (rural sociology, geography, anthropology) there is currently a wide debate about the relocalisation of food production and consumption. Born out of a critique of the ‘conventionalisation’ of organic agriculture, attention to local food has grown in recent years to assume the features of a new orthodoxy or paradigm that is now undergoing, as is suitable to any orthodoxy, deep and critical scrutiny. Many points are discussed, from the definition of ‘local’ to its transformative role in the current agri-food system and rural community, whether relocalisation of food is a sustainable strategy and whether its character is radical or merely reformist. The perspective adopted here, which is relatively neglected in the literature, derives from the overall focus of CORASON on the role of knowledge in rural development. We look at the valorisation of local food as a knowledge-based practice that mobilises the various forms of knowledge embodied in both rural and non-rural actors. Following knowledge in the valorisation of food leads us to differentiate between patterns of food relocalisation across Europe and to analyse the interplay among knowledge forms and actors in the contested construction of the local food project.
During the last decades marginal rural territories of Europe lost a great part of their productive character, acquiring nowadays new functions, roles and social meanings which, in turn, are leading to their perception as consumption places. Among the new roles and functions, environmental protection, nature conservation, tourism and leisure activities seem to be the most significant. Tourism, in particular, has an increasing role in the production of a certain image of rurality, through the use of powerful specific (although global) symbols such as green landscapes, authenticity and typicality, contributing to the reinvention of remote rural areas. Based on a preliminary content analysis of promotional materials from Italian rural tourism units, this paper aims to discuss the way rural areas and rurality are presented and sold to tourists and to debate some implications for local development. Empirical evidence suggests a lack of correspondence between the real rural and the promoted rurality.
(open access to the full article here: http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/euco.2011.3.issue-1/v10091-011-0001-4/v10091-011-0001-4.xml?format=INT)
In this paper we explore the development and incidence of alternative food networks within a European-wide context. By developing a consistent definition of short food supply chains, we address both the morphology and the dynamics of these, and then examine empirical evidence concerning their incidence and rural development impact across seven EU member states. These developments need to be seen as one significant contribution to the current transitions in rural Europe concerning the crisis of conventional intensive and productivist agriculture and the public consumer pressure for a larger variety of distinctive 'quality' food products.
In this chapter we seek to outline one potential route to the conceptualisation of rural change, using parts of regulation theory. Our particular focus is to identify a series of "middle ground' concepts through which the abstract notions of regulation can be linked to the specific characteristics of different areas and regions. We suggest that the notions of "mode of regulation', "societalisation' and "structured coherence' can be used as starting points in the discussion of the hanging function and position of rural areas in Europe. After sounding a warning note over the scale at which new "coherences' can be recognised, we attempt to illustrate the changing coherences in contemporary rural areas, first in Britain and then more widely in Europe. We argue that these middle ground concepts from regulation theory can enhance our existing understandings of economic restructuring, social recomposition and state activity in planning and policy-making, and we conclude by stressing the cultural coherence of local places. -from Authors
Bringing together a range of case studies from Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Poland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Greece, this book compares and contrasts different models of food re-localization. The richness and complexity of the international case studies provide a broad understanding of the characteristics of the re-localization movement, while the analysis of knowledge forms and dynamics provides an innovative new theoretical approach. Each of the national teams work on the basis of an agreed common framework, resulting in a strongly coherent and comprehensive continental overview. This shows how the actors involved are pursuing their objectives in different regional and national contexts, re-embedding, socially and ecologically, the relation between food production, consumption and places. © Maria Fonte and Apostolos G. Papadopoulos 2010. All rights reserved.
Increasingly, regional tourism development initiatives are utilizing locally-produced foodstuffs and beverages to: strengthen areas' tourism products; enhance visitors' experiences; and help maintain and enhance the viability of local food production and processing sectors. This paper examines the ways in which food and tourism are being drawn together at a theoretical level by academics, at a strategic level by policy makers, and at an applied level by developers and practitioners. While the marketing philosophy provides a useful framework for the planning and management of food-related tourism initiatives, adopting such an approach is problematic owing to a shortfall in our understanding of consumer behavior with regard to food in the context of leisure and tourism. In the absence of such knowledge, and in the light of the positive economic and social benefits which such initiatives can create, this paper examines the ways in which food-related tourism initiatives are being promoted using the World Wide Web. The research highlights inadequacies in the web-based promotion of food-related tourism initiatives in the UK and suggests that, while this type of tourism is at an early stage in the product life-cycle (in the UK), these shortcomings are also due in part to the fragmented infrastructure for regional tourism development and promotion in the UK. Additionally, practical recommendations are made as regards design factors for the provision of web-based tourism information.
Despite its primary, vital function of satisfying physiological needs, food can be the key factor in the tourist industry by adding value to the image of a destination and by reinforcing the tourists' experience in certain places. Till recently Croatian geographic characteristics presented key elements of market differentiation. However, the importance of food for tourism development has been recognized by Croatian authors. They mostly point out food as the driving force for health tourism and gastronomic offer preconditions for the development of rural tourism. This article addresses two dynamic segments of the economy: agriculture along with food production and tourism. In thisarticle we try to find out whether food presents an effective instrument for enhancing rural tourism development in a country emerging from war and transitioning from central economic planning to a market economy. Using data from a study on the sample of 300 tourists in 12 tourist destinations in Croatia, the authors find that foreign tourists mostly buy food during their holidays in Croatia due to high quality of the Croatian local food. Also, a large number of respondents think that Croatian food is more expensive than the food in their countries and experienced difficulties in obtaining and consuming local food. The main problem is that some Croatian tourists' entities have failed to promote local food and regional cuisine which results in ignorance on the part of tourists, thus also contributing to lower demand and consumption levels.
One of the most relevant issues in the growing (social and institutional) identification of the environment, nature and rural regions is the creation of protected areas.This is held to be an important aspect in the conception of the countryside as an environmental reserve. As a consequence of the processes of industrialization and urbanization which have dominated modern societies in recent decades, as well as from global socio-economic transformation, considerable parts of European rural areas (mainly the southern ones and particularly the Portuguese ones) could essentially be considered as marginal spaces or agricultural areas of low income and productivity.This situation led the majority of Mediterranean countries and some peripheral areas of more central countries in the European Union (from the 1970s onwards) to respond to the pressures and recommendations of international agencies, scientific bodies and of society as a whole in order to convert remote rural areas into spaces for environmental and natural conservation and protection. Despite having some advantages, instituting rural spaces into environmental and natural conservation areas can also present important constraints. In this article we will discuss some problems in the conversion of Portuguese rural areas, as well as consequences for the future of rural regions in Portugal.
(you can access full text here: http://eur.sagepub.com/content/15/2/159.abstract)
In recent years, attempts to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of both tourism and agriculture have been linked to the development of “alternative” food networks and a renewed enthusiasm for food products that are perceived to be traditional and local. This paper draws on research from two UK regions, the Lake District and Exmoor, to argue that local food can play an important role in the sustainable tourism experience because it appeals to the visitor's desire for authenticity within the holiday experience. Using evidence from qualitative interviews with tourists and food producers, the paper records ways in which local foods are conceptualised as “authentic” products that symbolise the place and culture of the destination. By engaging with debates surrounding the meaning of locality and authenticity, the paper challenges existing understandings of these concepts and offers a new way forward for tourism research by arguing that “local food” has the potential to enhance the visitor experience by connecting consumers to the region and its perceived culture and heritage.
Rural tourism agents and operators occupy a central role in the use and diffusion of certain social representations of rurality through the mobilization and utilization of specific (yet increasingly global) signs and symbols that, in the urban imaginary, characterize typical and traditional rural settings. Rural tourism promotional materials may contribute to the reconfiguration of the countryside more in accordance with an idealized rural than with the reality of local features. This chapter examines how rural areas and rurality are presented and commodified, using an exploratory content analysis of online and offline materials combined with a survey directed at rural tourism entrepreneurs in five municipalities of two different Italian regions – Campania and Tuscany. Evidence strongly suggests a discrepancy between the real and the portrayed rurality, pointing at the emergence or reinforcement of rural reconfiguration processes, shaped by external and often global images and imaginaries.
Many destinations view their food and cuisine as a market niche. Operating within the Asia-Pacific perspective, this study analyzed the key success factors in culinary tourism based on resource-based theory in seven benchmark countries to identify the structure of promotional strategic development in culinary tourism. The methodology primarily involved in-depth interviews and document analyses. The results identified four key success factors: (i) identifying and effectively using culinary tourism resources; (ii) evaluating governmental principles for promoting culinary tourism; (iii) adopting marketing strategies to promote culinary cultural sectors; and (iv) constructing educational environment for culinary culture and tourism. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This paper analyses the transformation and redefinition of local identity in rural France from the perspective of heritage – more precisely food and gastronomy – and local rural tourism. As an identity marker of a geographic area and/or as a means of promoting farm products, gastronomy meets the specific needs of consumers, local producers and other actors in rural tourism. The paper considers the meaning of food from a theoretical perspective. The current interest in traditional food and cuisine is part of a general desire for authentic experiences. At the regional level, the dynamics of building up heritage consist in actualizing, adapting, and re-interpreting elements from the past, thus combining conservation and innovation. Local development can be seen as a process of territorial and heritage construction. Culinary heritage is a social construction and an important resource for local action. The paper examines the case of the Haut Plateau de l’Aubrac (Central France), where the local development process is closely linked to the valorization and the re-creation of gastronomic knowledge and skill.
The relationships between food production and tourism range from conflict over competition for land, labor and capital to symbiosis where both sectors mutually benefit from each other. This paper reviews the literature on relationships between food production, particularly agriculture and tourism. It then examines the efforts of a resort on the island of Lombok, Indonesia, to increase the amount of local food products used in its restaurants through the establishment of two projects involving local food producers. It is argued that there is potential to increase backward linkages between tourism and local food production but that there are substantial challenges to be overcome in doing so.RésuméLiens entre le tourisme et la production alimentaire. Les rapports entre le tourisme et la production alimentaire varient entre des conflits pour la terre, la main-d'oeuvre et le capital et une symbiose où les deux secteurs se portent des bénéfices mutuels. On passe en revue la littérature sur le tourisme et la production alimentaire, en particulier l'agriculture. Puis on examine les efforts d'une station balnéaire à l'ile de Lombok (Indonésie) pour augmenter l'utilisation des produits alimentaires locaux dans ses restaurants par l'établissement de deux projets avec des producteurs locaux de comestibles. On soutient qu'il serait possible d'augmenter les liens en sens inverse entre le tourisme et la production alimentaire locale, mais qu'il y a des difficultés importantes à surmonter.
The common perception of food as a mere attraction in tourism is challenged by stressing the complications and impediments experienced by tourists in the local culinary sphere in unfamiliar destinations, even when attracted to the local cuisine. Hygiene standards, health considerations, communication gaps, and the limited knowledge of tourists concerning the local cuisine are discussed, while the role of ethnic restaurants at home in preparing tourists for the food abroad is questioned. The various ways in which culinary establishments mediate between the tourists and the local cuisine are described. The authenticity of dishes in such establishments and the varieties of culinary experience are considered.RésuméLa nourriture dans le tourisme : attraction et empêchement. La perception de la nourriture comme une simple attraction dans le tourisme est contestée en faisant ressortir les complications et les empêchements qui sont rencontrés par des touristes dans le domaine culinaire local des destinations inconnues, même quand on est attiré par la cuisine locale. On discute des normes d’hygiène, des considérations de santé, des manques de communication et des connaissances limitées des touristes au sujet de la cuisine locale, et on met en question le rôle des restaurants ethniques dans le pays pour préparer les touristes à la cuisine à l’étranger. On décrit les différentes façons dont les établissements culinaires servent d’intermédiaire entre les touristes et la cuisine locale. On considère l’authenticité des plats dans de tels établissements et les variétés d’expériences culinaires.
The analysis of agrarian uneven development has tended to treat agriculture and the food system as something of a bounded and discrete element within the wider sweep of capitalist evolution. This paper begins to problematize this conception by examining some new parameters of uneven development given significant changes in the political economy of agriculture and rural development over the past decade. It does this with reference to recently completed extensive and intensive research conducted across Western Europe and, more specifically, in particular localities in England. In the latter parts of the paper some key dynamic concepts are introduced which need incorporating into the understanding of the diversity of the new rural spaces. We need to do more than simply recognize this diversity by understanding how it emerges, for whom, and by whom.
Qualification schemes have become popular tools for supporting regional foods, yet little is understood about the impacts they have on the rural development contribution of such foods. Qualification processes may stimulate new networks and community actions, but they may also be incompatible with strategies of extended territorial development because of their foundation in theories of competitive advantage. To explore these issues, the evolution is traced of three cases of regional food production, where local actors pursue the opportunity to qualify products under EEC Regulation 2081/92. The results reveal, in practice, the different experiences that can evolve under the same qualification mechanism, and also how the consequences for rural development can vary. The paper concludes with analysis of factors influencing the involvement and behaviour of actors in regional food qualification, and what these infer for the rural development approach pursued.
This study attempted to identify the image representations of Macau on the Internet by analyzing the contents of a variety of web information sources—Macau official tourism website, tour operators and travel agents’ websites, online travel magazine and guide websites, and online travel “blogs.” Both qualitative (text mining and expert judgment) and quantitative approaches (correspondence analysis) were used to content-analyze the narrative and visual information on the sampled websites. The results showed that the image of Macau projected online varies by the different online information sources. These variations could largely be explained by the different communication objectives and targeted audiences of the different web information sources. This study underscores the importance of understanding the multiplicity of destination image representations on the web and the challenges of managing and delivering the desired image of a destination online.
A wine route can be seen as a network established around the theme of wine. The impressive economic impact that the establishment of the Costa degli Etruschi wine route has had on the farms involved is traced back in this article to the collective action that produces synergies and coherence. Synergies can be defined as linkages between two or more entities, whose joint effort produces quantitatively and qualitatively higher effects than those produced by the efforts of the same entities alone. Coherence is a quality belonging to the elements that constitute the context of action in successful rural development practices: natural and man-made environment, social networks, and symbolic systems. The process of creating coherence is not without conflict, and the article contends that the establishment of coherence needs a hegemonic strategy that involves all sources of empowerment and particularly cultural codes.
The article sets out to develop a framework based on the ‘transformational’ power of local food, in a bid to interpret, and support the active building of, food relocalization strategies. The article starts by illustrating a semiotic model for the analysis of food quality, aimed at interpreting changes in the food system that come about as food acquires new meaning. This model is then applied to the process of qualification as proposed by Michel Callon and others. An application of the model to interpret and to evaluate food relocalization strategies follows. The activities of Slow Food, a food movement born in Italy about 20 years ago, are given as illustration and analysed. The article concludes with a discussion of the framework’s possibilities and limitations
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