Γαστρονομικός τουρισμός: ελληνικές γεύσεις και τοπική ανάπτυξη

Περίληψη

Food tastings, visits to production sites, trails through the history of artisanal products, hands-on cooking classes or even a good meal in a traditional restaurant, the world of culinary tourism has been acknowledged in recent years as a significant form of experience-based tourism. However, as much as the connection between tourism and food seems obvious, food tourism has to be embedded in the local in order for the community to benefit. Strategic alliances are called for to create networks between local producers, hotels, restaurants and tourism planners, which will enhance the value of local products, help recouple the value chain and establish the linkages necessary for the tourist culinary experience to be memorable and authentic. This paper begins by discussing the recent interest in culinary tourism. It then goes on to describe different types of value chains of the culinary tourism experience and considers the key issues faced by producers and buyers in establishing a local supply chain for food tourism. Case studies examining the possibilities of creating local value chains in the context of food tourism are reviewed. Finally, the paper outlines a number of policy initiatives in Greece, that aim primarily at promoting and diversifying the Greek tourism product through culinary tourism and at increasing tourism spending. Such initiatives result however in forging local supply chain networks. They are partly a response to the typical value chain of the mass tourism experience, commonplace in most Greek tourism destinations, which is characterized by the dependence of local tourist agents and hotels on global supply chains. This analysis is based on an extended review of internet sources and documents issued by the institutions. The paper concludes with recommendations for further research. In particular, it stresses the need to accurately describe existing local networks for food tourism in Greece, as a tool for policy analysis.