Food Tourism & Food Events Tommy D. Andersson University of Gothenburg & University of Macerata
Sustainable Food Tourism Tourism has a problem with sustainability However, Food Tourism is more sustainable Economically for the local economy Socially for the local food culture Environmentally for local produce
La Dieta Mediterranea An example of sustainable food tourism
Developing Food Tourism An example from Il laboratorio piceno in Marche Classes for turists about healthy living and cooking University courses Sagre and other food events
Why are food events interesting? There is a quickly growing interest in many countries. Events are of critical importance for developing food tourism They can be designed and managed to fit a desireable development of food tourism They have a particular attraction for Foodies Based on chapter 7 in the book FOODIES & FOOD TOURISM by Getz, D., Robinson, R., Andersson, T. and Vujicic, S. (2014)
Strong recent surge of research Consumption side. Visitors characteristics, motives and preferences Production side. The management of festivals
Why is this project unique and who can benefit from it and who can use it. 1. Consumption side Who are the visitors to a food event
Visitors characteristics Results from research in USA Middle-aged, well educated, high incomes, Supporters of local food, repeat visitors Enjoy also fine dining, visiting spa and country inn Like learning experiences and cooking schools Use internet to plan and book
Results from a European study A study from 2011 of 3,102 Foodies 733 from Italy 714 from Germany 644 from United Kingdom 611 from Norway 400 from Other countries Reported in the book FOODIES & FOOD TOURISM (2014) by Getz, D., Robinson, R., Andersson, T. and Vujicic, S.
Popularity of food events TYPE OF FOOD EVENT Food market with local products 81% Food festival 43% Gastronomic events at restaurants 42% Ethnic / Cultural food festival 41% Trade fair for food producers 40% Attending cooking competitions 26% Lessons on wine to drink with food 25% Cooking classes 20% Seminars on gastronomy and cuisine 18% I have visited last year
Two types of food events LEARNING EVENTS Cooking classes offered by professionals Lessons on what wine to drink with different foods Attending a food competition Special gastronomic events at restaurants Seminar or conference on food cuisine or gastronomy A trade fair for food producers ENJOYMENT EVENTS Food festival An ethnic or cultural festival, including their food A food market where local farmers /fishermen sell their fresh food Enjoyment Events are more popular than Learning Events There are 4 times more visitors to Enjoyment Events
Learning Event visitors. travel more internationally with food as the main reason travel more also for business and for leisure. have a higher food involvement. have higher incomes more often have children (<15) living at home food is more important for travel satisfaction. food is more important for travel decisions. use most marketing channels to a larger extent use luxury hotel, business hotels and spa to a larger extent use travel agencies and package tours to a larger extent. use loyalty (air, hotel) programs to a larger extent
Italian food event culture Italians are significantly more frequent visitors to Learning events 2. Production side Germans, Norwegians and UK residents are significantly less frequent than Italians This could How also to be design explained a food by event the availability of food events in Italy.
Positioning a food event Enjoyment Family fun Hedonism Popular food event Food event for FOODIES Learning Cooking Interpretation Creativity Music Child activities Authenticity Culture Heritage
Advantages with both types A Popular event Attracts many local visitors Creates enjoyment for the local community Builds on local enthusiasm and traditions Builds a destination image and brand A FOODIE Event Attracts tourists Generates income for hotels and restaurants Pride for local community, its food culture and heritage Builds a destination image and brand
Alternative food event policies 1. Create a large contains all food festival Hallmark events Co-branded with the destination Enhances the image of the destination Becomes an institution taking place regularly Valued by the society Therefore has support from the municipality
Positioning a large Hallmark food event Enjoyment Family fun Hedonism Popular food event A large developed food festival that contains more Food event for FOODIES Learning Cooking Interpretation Creativity Music Child activities Authenticity Culture Heritage
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival 20 years old Attracts 350,000 visitors and lasts 20 days More than 100 celebrity chefs give master classes Gala dinners and The world s longest lunch
Alternative food event policies 1. Create a large contains all food festival 2. Create a portfolio of food events Popular, traditional food events Iconic events Restaurant events Trade fairs Other (e.g. sports) events with food components
A portfolio of food events Popular, traditional food events Iconic events Restaurant events Cooking competitions Trade fairs Other (e.g. sports) events with food components Learning from chefs
Advantages with the two policies Creating a Hallmark event Creates a strong tourism effect during a short period May have a strong image effect for the destination May get a strong support from sponsors and politicians May create more resources for development Creating a PORTFOLIO of events Creates smaller tourism effects but over a longer period Extends the tourism season Smaller iconic events may make the destination well known among foodies Risks may be reduced with several food events
Learning and Interpretation Learning experiences Involvement in harvesting and preparation Participating in cooking activities Dining with professionals Learning stories Entry behind-the-scene Interpretation Connections to culture and the territoire Stories and more stories Symbolic connections to religion and culture Professional comments related to a meal
Learning from chefs
Tipicità a Fermo in Italia Teatro dei sapori Forum & Focus Accademia Tipicità in the City 3 giorni
Yor comments and/or questions are welcome. tommy.andersson@handels.gu.se Thank you for your attention Tommy D Andersson University of Gothenburg & University of Macerata