Wine and Gastronomic Components of Tourism Products - Essay Example

Running Head: WINE TOURISM Wine Tourism [The [The of the Wine Tourism Introduction Over the past few years, trends in tourist demand and consumer behaviour have shown that tourists not only want to visit cultural and historical sites, but also to explore regions and landscapes as a whole. They increasingly select destinations not only on the basis of climate, art and historical heritage, human landmarks and environment-based activities in general, but also in terms of eno-gastronomic resources. Gastronomic supply is therefore increasingly shaped by tourist demand, highlighting the considerable potential wine and gastronomic products have in national and international tourist markets. Taking the region as the basic context of all tourist products, this paper analyses wine and gastronomic components of the product in detail, trying to underline the added value of aggregating or network logic in the development of typical agro-alimentary products and tourism. In many European countries, the situation of wine tourism appears to be complex and variegated, but also dynamic and rich in social, cultural and economic implications (Mitchell, 2000, 115-35). In order to realize its potential, it is essential that all actors involved implement a common entrepreneurial logic integrating wine tourism into the global tourist offer. In theory, this would allow them to take advantage of the strong synergies that can be achieved and to transform local land planning into a crucial instrument for sustainable development policy. Wine tourism is now emerging as one of the most promising segments of the tourism sector. Nevertheless, organizational and managerial capabilities lag behind in many places. It is highly likely that networks are needed to build an efficient and competitive network, to market high quality products and to safeguard the region's positive image. It is also an assumption in this paper that it is important to identify and encourage agricultural development through specialized and typical regional products, which can be protected and promoted through legislation, such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union. This will provide the basis for a solid and durable success both in tourism and agriculture, engendering revenue and employment benefits, especially in less developed areas. Rural Tourism and Wine Tourism: New Trends in the Tourist Market Alternative forms of tourism, which place emphasis on greater contact and understanding between tourists and the environment, emerged relatively recently. The various forms of environmental tourism can be grouped under the generic term of 'rural tourism', mainly practised away from traditional tourism destinations such as seaside and mountain resorts and art cities. Rural areas provide the backdrop for various forms of tourist behaviour, including sports, horse-riding, hunting, tasting wine and gastronomic products and learning about cooking, bird watching, photography, etc. (Goldsmith, 2001, 77-80). Rural tourism has long been considered a second-choice product, reserved for people with limited resources, who chose the countryside because they could not afford more attractive destinations. The re-discovery of tradition essentially based on typical products and rural lifestyles has only recently brought about a new rural tourism which is quite often able to offer high-standard services in terms of prices and quality. The new specific demand for environmental interaction in authentic settings (Spawton, 2005, 19-21) is deeply entrenched in the rural environment: tourists are interested in nature and tradition. 'Real' rural tourism only started to develop in the 1980s. From this point of view, local culture and the natural features of a rural environment become the real highlights. In the specific case of wine tourism, wine and other typical products of the local cuisine become real tourist attractions and a motivation to visit the countryside. Such motivations can be either exclusive - gastronomic trips or tours of wine cellars - or complementary to other interests (recreation, sport and fitness, culture). This explains the progressive growth of the gastronomic offer, as it targets not only tourists explicitly demanding it, but also tourists visiting the region for other reasons. Hence, public sector promotion of different forms of tourism in the rural environment has shifted to meet changing consumer demand. In Italy, Law No. 730 of 5 December 1985 relating to farm tourism was initially aimed at encouraging farmers to remain in rural areas, improving their living conditions and fostering the development and balance of the agricultural region through tourism. Furthermore, rural tourists were encouraged to work together with the farmer. Today, the law is used for valorising typical regional products, safeguarding and promoting traditions and cultural heritage in the rural environment in order to respond better to the changing trends in tourist demand. The guest is no longer an 'extra farmer', but a tourist taking a holiday in the countryside. Thus, the countryside has definitely become comparable to many other typical tourist destinations; it has become an all-purpose cultural destination. Rural tourists seek a mixture of attractions and activities, in order to qualify their holiday as distinctive, if not unique. They need to have a 'noteworthy experience' they will remember and talk about once they return home. This is only possible if tourists can experience the region as a whole, discover its identity and traditional values and come into direct contact with the local community. Such experiences will also encourage tourists to consume the same gastronomic products in their own countries of origin. In fact, eno-gastronomic tourism strongly fosters the export of traditional and unique agro-food products. In Italy, for instance, tourism was the key to successful exports of olive oil, pasta, mozzarella cheese, etc. (Chaney, 2000, 12-15). Furthermore, besides being an attractive market niche, wine and gastronomy can be considered as a transversal component of all kinds of tourism and, therefore, an important feature of national identity and differentiation in the marketplace. Italy, for instance, has integrated gastronomic elements into its multifaceted national cultural heritage, which is internationally celebrated. Let us remember that there are over 500 varieties of cheese, 300 kinds of salami and hams and over 2,000 varieties of wine (Mitchell, 2000, 115-35). Wine Tourism as Cultural Tourism Wine tourism can thus be considered as forms of cultural tourism (Tzimitra, 2004, 56-60)as they aim at preserving and valorising agricultural territories - especially those producing wine, oil and other typical products - and suggest a new way of holidaying: gourmet tours around farms and wine cellars to taste typical regional gastronomic products. Gastronomic tourism allows tourists to come into contact with the culture of the region and to establish a tie with its past, its traditions, and its historical and cultural heritage. A region's cultural heritage is embodied in its agriculture, its environment, its social patterns and its farming tradition. Gastronomic tourism can make a contribution to relating the distinctive culture of a region to the wider social, economic and environmental context of the location. The development of gastronomic tourism will probably be favoured by changes currently taking place in the tourism market. In particular the growth of short breaks and additional holidays has led to a predominance of short stays scattered throughout the whole year. In other words, tourist trends reveal an increasing customization of the tourist 'package' leading to a highly fragmented demand that Italy's regional resources, which are very articulated and differentiated, seem to be particularly suitable for (Tzimitra, 2004, 56-60). Furthermore, the tourist sector is highly influenced by globalization and progressive liberalization; as a result, many new destinations - several of which are situated in developing countries where investment and management costs are significantly lower - have arisen, slowly eroding the market share of more established destinations such as Italy. In order to meet competition from these countries, it is necessary to promote the distinctive features of the national heritage. Italy is internationally renowned for its unique blend of natural and cultural resources, which has a significant role in global culture. Thus, a relaunch of the national tourist product based on wine and food elements becomes crucial: supply needs to be reorganized and oriented not only towards traditional segments of demand, but also towards new consumer groups (Hall, 2002, 149-56). Wine and Taste Routes or Paths The evolution of demand has brought about a radical change in supply: the tourist value of various regions has been significantly enhanced and development initiatives - such as the creation of wine routes and taste paths - have been carried out. Such initiatives are aimed at developing a wine tourism production system by offering an accessible and attractive tourist product that is clearly recognizable by tourists/consumers. A wine route or taste path usually integrates the typical regional raw materials such as wine and oil with all other environmental, cultural and tourist resources to ensure the tourist utilization of the region. The route becomes a common thread linking the tourist/consumer and the tourism supply system. Tourist motivations are diverse and related to the individual's needs. Gastronomic tourism is definitely not a mass tourism phenomenon since many routes/ paths are not physically able to host more than a certain number of tourists at one time. Nevertheless, in order to develop the tourist potential of such routes, it is necessary to identify the underlying needs of individual tourists. Some previous studies on tourist motivations for visiting wine routes/taste paths intended as integrated tourist products have identified different aspects of demand (Gluckman, 2003, 44-50): - Psychological: the vacation or trip is perceived as a revealing moment for personal resources and motivations to change; - Sociological: cultural and aesthetic values highlight aspects related to the quality of life and of the environment, setting off comparisons between tourist and non-tourist destinations; - Economic: personal income and vacation expenditure are also very important factors, but rural tourists pay particular attention to the quality level of the product and to the price/quality ratio. Components of a Route/Path A route/path is a complex tourist product, involving an interaction between different material and immaterial components: facilities, services, environment, and local communities. Despite the high fragmentation of demand, the complexity of a route is determined by the number of decision-makers and actors involved in organizing it. One of the most critical issues arising in the creation of a route/ path is managing the relational dynamics among actors, as they go beyond a purely managerial logic or an enterprise-to-consumer or enterprise-to-enterprise relationship. In fact, numerous stakeholders are involved: internal actors such as local authorities, the resident population and local enterprises and external actors such as tourists, tour operators and investors. Hence, the route is both a path linking the internal actors and the means of managing the tourist product. In the following paragraphs, we shall analyse some of the key aspects of gastronomic routes/paths identified in studies carried out in the last few years: - Path patterns as a function of relationship between signs and regions. - The underlying pattern of regional organization. - The management structure and strategic development potential of the coordinating service unit. Sign-Region Relationships A major feature of a gastronomic route/path is that it links places of interest through their products, history and landscape. Two variables need to be taken into account in managing the route/path: the resources of the region and its specific markers (information about the distinctive resources of a region). The main goal is to identify, interpret and decode components of tourists' behaviour so as to explain the motivations behind their visit. In this way it is possible to establish relationships between different places and elements composing the tourist product, to identify spatial patterns of demand and to promote specific features of the region. Spatial aspects of demand, which will not be dealt with in detail here, include tangible product components - such as the spatial and geographic context of the region, its physical and built attractions - and subjective aspects - such as the response to tourist motivations, the tourist's experiences in the area, etc. (Angulo, 2004, 15-22) The tangible products of the region and the subjective experience of the tourist can be combined into a route/path map which relates the resources of the region to the markers for those resources, mainly in terms of communication. Actually we can have four different situations with regard to the relationship between regions and markers: One highly profiled marker or resource in one region, such as Chianti wine in the Chianti region. The path map will include places where the resource is present (this case is quite simple and it will be touched on only briefly). One region with multiple markers: wines and other products all in the same region. One marker covering multiple areas: such as the Via Franchigena, the Silk Route (routes crossing different regions) or wine routes crossing various regions. Multiple markers in multiple territories: this example is not considered here since it is necessary to define first the priorities within a targeted authentic setting. Start-Up of Route/Path Activities (a) Design route/path logo. (b) Produce informative and advertising material about the route/path. (c) Develop common signage system, usually guided by regional or national laws. (d) Draw up an exhaustive annual activity plan and related financial scheme. The key goals of a wine route/path should be to: - Satisfy the increasing demand for rural and wine tourism. - Supply efficient and accessible services, both for network members and tourists. - Develop local tourist products distinct from 'industrial' or conventional tourist products. Valorise locally produced or locally managed products characterized by the local landscape; region and culture in order maximize benefits at local level. Supplies As previously mentioned, one of the main features of a tourist product is its sectoral transversality. In fact, in order to offer a product able to satisfy tourism demand, a number of economic actors from different sectors need to be involved. However, a successful combination between tourism and wine and food production and the production of other services will be possible only if these actors adopt a new entrepreneurial logic, centred on a wider economic vision. The producers have to recognize, accept and utilize their mutual interdependencies. Entrepreneurs, who decide to join a route/path need to diversify their activities, will have to re-orient them towards the tourist services market and contribute to the innovation of high quality regional products (Angulo, 2004, 15-22). Producing wine, olive oil or other typical regional products does not necessarily establish a basis for wine tourism. Only those destinations able to transform their high-quality products and variegated local cuisine into a territorially, culturally and historically specific product can use wine tourism as an additional means of enhancing the distinctiveness of their region (Aune, 2005, 23-30). Therefore, high-quality products and regional distinctiveness need to be combined with an efficient accommodation/hospitality system. In addition to an appropriate mix of accommodation facilities, qualified staff are needed to give information about typical local products and all wine/taste route or path-related sites (cellars, historical places, crafts shops, restaurants, etc.) and to hand out informative materials as well ( Chaney, 2000,12-15). Wine tourism is a particular kind of tourism, requiring special attention and care. For this reason, it is often neglected by travel agencies or tour operators, who usually prefer all-inclusive packages to more traditional destinations. Instead, tourism intermediaries should become central to developing an integrated gastronomic tourism product, helping to avoid overcrowding problems at certain times of the year and also to differentiate gastronomic tourism from mass tourism products. The tourist packages created by tour operators to combine wine and gastronomic products may be twofold: Packages centred exclusively on wine tourism and route/path visits. Packages where visits to the route/path are part of a multifaceted tourist product (e.g. cultural tourism, thermal tourism, mountain tourism) and represent a complementary highlight. - Crafts producers area to area. Therefore, wine/taste routes may become the ideal model to promote the region and its resources as a tourist location. The Concept Of Routes/Paths And The Minimum Quality Standards Required In order to support their development, a national law has been approved to define the concept of routes/paths and illustrate the minimum quality standards required. This law aims at valorising wine-producing territories through the creation of 'wine routes/paths' as described in subsection 2 of article 1 'paths advertised and marked by appropriate signs enhancing natural, cultural and environmental values as well as promoting vineyards, single or associated agricultural wine cellars open to the public as the key element to diffuse, commercialize and utilize wine-producing territories as a form of tourist offer'. One of the most remarkable achievements of Law No. 268/1999 is its enlarged scope, extending from wine tourism to other tourist forms supported by high quality regional products such as olive oil, as provided by article 5, 'the provisions of law are also to be intended for the creation of Routes/Paths aiming at valorising concurrently other quality productions with specific reference to olive oil and other typical products in general'. Hence, Law No. 268/1999 represents a valuable instrument to enhance entrepreneurial culture and foster collaboration among different actors. Its provisions strongly promote collaborative action at national level able to interrelate tourism and agriculture, two sectors both having a huge potential at local level, a high degree of environmental vulnerability and a relatively weak representation at national level. Thus, Law No. 268/1999 represents the starting point for the creation of a gastronomic path which is both a physical itinerary linking cultural resources and a virtual path linking the various actors involved in it. The new law has been preceded by several interesting and original initiatives carried out by private enterprises or by regional authorities themselves, as in the case of Tuscany. Tuscany officially created wine and taste routes and approved a related law in 1996. By the end of 2000, Tuscany had fourteen wine routes/taste paths covering a wide part of the region. (Aune, 2005, 23-30) Conclusion To conclude, we may highlight the role of typical products in potential tourist areas, and give some hints for the strategic development of wine routes/taste paths in order to meet the needs of a new kind of tourism oriented towards healthy lifestyles. This is quite a topical issue since in the last few years the countryside, local traditions and wine tourism have generated more and more interest. These trends are complemented by excellent examples of heritage management and adding value to productive activities, fostered by the increasing recognition gastronomy has achieved in Italy. Thus, itineraries have been created in regions celebrated all around the world such as the Chianti region, but also in less renowned areas such as Piedmont, Marche and Sicily, wrongly considered less 'noble' in the rural tourism panorama. Nevertheless, successful examples of regional valorisation and improved production quality can sometimes be counteracted by hurried development and improvisation that has no other intention than turning a fast profit. Initiatives in the tourism sector also risk the free-riding mechanism where some producers benefit from the investments of others, while not contributing anything themselves. Therefore individual or networked enterprises need to take into consideration the negative reactions generated by such developments by forming dedicated and viable associations. Without institutional frameworks, the development of high quality sustainable gastronomic products becomes almost impossible. Quality control mechanisms for regional products represent important assets to diffuse through regional networks. It is therefore important to create and foster a real culture of alimentary and gastronomic products - whose uniqueness and exclusiveness is enhanced by the knowledge of their region of origin - especially where this still does not exist. The wine route is not asphalted, can host a few people at a time and should never become a highway. Wine tourism needs specific planning and promotion, and stable partnerships to exploit economic synergies, meet residents' needs and develop professional education and qualifications. It is crucial to remember that the development of rural areas depends not only on agriculture, but also on tourism and other productive activities. Therefore, policies, rules and strategies should be designed for both sectors jointly and should aim at a common target. There is no universal 'recipe' suitable for every case and every situation. Each locality has its own typology in terms of resources, products, producers, development and tourist growth, and each area calls for different policies. A wine route/ taste path can fulfil an important coordination function by linking regions offering similar or complementary activities, services and products. References Angulo, Ana Maria; Gil, Jose Maria; Gracia, Azucena; Sanchez, Mercedes, 2004 Hedonic Prices for Spanish Red Quality Wine, British Food Journal; Volume 102 No. 7; 15-22 Aune, Leif, 2005. The use of enchantment in wine and dining, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management; Volume 14 No. 1; 23-30 Chaney, Isabella M., 2000. A comparative analysis of wine reviews, British Food Journal; Volume 102 No. 7; 12-15 Gluckman, Robert L, 2003. A Consumer Approach to Branded Wines, European Journal of Marketing; Volume 20 No. 6; 44-50 Goldsmith, Ronald E; d'Hauteville 2001 Francois Consumption: Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives, British Food Journal; Volume 100 No. 4; 77-80 Hall M., Sharples L., Cambourne B., Maconis N. 2002., Wine Tourism, Butterworth Heinemann, London, 149-56 Mitchell, R., Hall, C.M. and McIntosh, A. (2000) 'Wine tourism and consumer behaviour', in C.M. Hall, L. Sharples, B. Cambourne and N. Macionis (Eds) Wine Tourism Around the World: development, management and markets, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, pp. 115-135. Spawton, T.2005, Marketing Planning for Wine, European Journal of Marketing; Volume 25 No. 3; 19-21 Tzimitra-Kalogianni, Irene; Papadaki-Klavdianou, Afroditi; Alexaki, Anastasia; Tsakiridou, Efthimia, 2004 Wine routes in Northern Greece: consumer perceptions, British Food Journal; Volume 101 No. 11; 56-60 Read More