Rural Tourism: The Business of Gastronomic Tourism
Learning Outcomes Aims § To iden(fy the key products and providers in the food and drink
(gastronomic) tourism domain
§ To evaluate the factors influencing the development of food and
drink as a tourism product
§ To examine na(onal, regional and local frameworks and ini(a(ves
for developing food and drink as a tourism product
§ To iden(fy poten(al barriers to developing local produce
Farming and Food Tourism Ac3vity 1: The Product •  What/who are the main products and providers for food (gastronomic) tourism?
Honey
Beef
Vineyards
Micro-Breweries
Food Festivals
Farmers’ Markets
Farmers’ Markets
Farmer’s Markets •
First Farmers’ Market in Bath in 1997
•
Concept originated in the USA in the 1970s
•
Currently in excess of 240 Farmers’ Markets in the UK
•
Es(mated turnover in excess of £65 million
Farmers’ Markets Features of a Farmer’s Market (NAFM Cer3fica3on) •
The produce must be locally grown, usually from within a 30-40 mile radius (50 miles for larger ci(es and coastal/remoter rural areas), or produced using local ingredients
•
Producers from further afield can aYend if there is no suitable producer for a specific product
•
Local can also cons(tute a county boundary or defined geographical region (e.g. Na(onal Park)
•
Principal producer or a representa(ve directly involved in the produc(on process must aYend the stall
•
Secondary produce - all produce must be brewed, pickled, baked, smoked or processed by the stall holder using at least one ingredient from within the defined local area
•
Informa(on regarding the products/market should be available to customers
Tea Rooms/Cafes/Restaurants
Farm Shops
Food and Drink Trails
Cookery Schools
The Development of Food Tourism Ac3vity 2: Product Development • What factors have influenced the development of food and drink as a tourism product?
The Development of Food Tourism § Key Factors: § Thrusts against globalisa(on, mul(-na(onals, and
commodifica(on
§ Increased consumer knowledge of, and interest in, food and
drink
§ Concerns of over food safety (BSE, GM, F&M) § Concerns of over-current agricultural and food produc(on
systems (linked to F&M)
§ Increasing curiosity over new cultures, foods etc § To offer food which lends itself to the consumer focus on
experience and sensa(on
The Development of Food Tourism § Key Factors: § Link to regional iden(ty/marke(ng/branding § Authen(city and quality § Farm diversifica(on - cut out the middle man/add value to
exis(ng farm-based products
§ Local produce provides a dis(nct USP § Increasing recogni(on of the rela(onship between farming,
food and the landscape
§ Recogni(on and development of food and drink as package-
based/des(na(on experiences
§ Government Policy
Farming and Food Tourism Ac3vity 3: The Customer • Who is the customer?
Tourist Attitudes to Regional and Local Foods § MAFF and Countryside Commission - Enteleca Research and
Consultancy (2000)
§ Tourists have a very vague view of what is local, further confused
by the increasing availability of regional products
§ ‘Local’ is part of their defini(on of ‘speciality’ but have not thought
deeply about the difference between locally produced and speciality foods
§ Tourist percep(ons are more linked to geographical knowledge
and personal experience than awareness of any official criteria of designa(on
§ 61-69% of holiday-makers recognise that food makes a posi(ve
contribu(on of their holiday, and 39% say that it contributed ‘a lot’
Tourist Attitudes to Regional and Local Foods § MAFF and Countryside Commission - Enteleca Research and
Consultancy (2000)
§ 72% of visitors to the study regions (Cumbria, SW, Heart of
England and Yorkshire) took an interest in local food during their visit, and while posi(vely disposed to local produce needed the opportunity to sample it
§ 35-36% of food tourists believe they would make more purchases
and eat more in restaurants offering local food if there was more branding or labeling
Tourist Attitudes to Regional and Local Foods § Market Segmenta,on: § Food Tourists (6-8%) - seeking local food and drink is a par(cular
reason for choosing their holiday des(na(on - emphasis on ‘good food’ and ‘good restaurants’
§ Interested Purchasers (30-33%) - they purchase and/or eat local
foods when the opportunity arises § Unreached (15-17%) - happy to try local food when they come
across it but at present are not purchasing local foods
§ Unengaged (22-24%) - do not regard food and drink as adding to
their enjoyment of their holiday, but are not nega(ve to sampling local foods
§ Laggards (17-28%) - uninterested in local foods and are unlikely to
have purchased any during their holiday
Tourist Attitudes to Regional and Local Foods
Tourist Attitudes to Regional and Local Foods
The Rationale for Developing Local Produce
Local Produce Ac3vity 4: •  What is the ra(onale for the development of local produce?
The Rationale for Local Produce Suppor3ng the Local Economy Environmental BeneďŹ ts Visitor Experience Health BeneďŹ ts
Reducing Food Miles Suppor3ng Tradi3onal CraQs Social Importance
The Rationale for Local Produce § Suppor3ng the Local Economy § Small scale producers are ojen struggling to compete with
large supermarket chains
§ Local produce can directly support local businesses, local
employment and keep money in the local economy by cukng out the middleman, through direct selling, which in turn increases financial returns
§ Personal contact with a local producer can give you a real
understanding of how something is grown or processed
The Rationale for Local Produce § Reducing Food Miles § ‘Food miles’ means the distance food has traveled from
where it is produced to where it is purchased, and onto where it is consumed
§ Food distribu(on by road freight is the fastest growing
transport sector here in the UK and is a major contributor to air pollu(on - it takes 68 calories of air fuel to transport one calorie of carrot into the UK!
§ 13% of the UK’s total fuel consump(on goes on packaging
and transpor(ng food
The Rationale for Local Produce § Environmental Benefits § Local food produc(on ensures that local land is put to good
use
§ Local land is maintained to a high standard, which in turn
increases environmental quality and aYracts visitors to the countryside
The Rationale for Local Produce § Reducing Packaging § Vast quan((es of packaging are used to protect produce
when it is being transported around the country and even the world
§ Local produce generally has a minimal amount of packaging
which cuts down on the use of valuable natural resources
The Rationale for Local Produce § Suppor3ng Tradi3onal CraQs § Woodland ac(vi(es have helped shape the landscape of
south east England for genera(ons
§ Buying locally produced (mber such as fence materials
ensures you help maintain our landscape and don't destroy someone else's!
The Rationale for Local Produce § Social Importance § Buying locally encourages links between local land owners
and the communi(es they are in
§ It increases social connec(ons between urban and rural
communi(es
The Rationale for Local Produce § Health Benefits § Local food comes with the re-assurance that local food is
'good-home produced' food that has not adversely harmed the environment
§ Local food gives an assurance of where the food comes from
and how produced
§ Local food is fresh, nutri(ous food
Gastronomic Tourism Ac3vity 4: •  What are the key elements of strategy to support gastronomic tourism?
Developing Strategies for Gastronomic Tourism § Key Considera3ons: § Food and tourism provide a significant ‘visitor’ product
opportunity, as well as a means to rural diversifica(on
§ Wider links to protec(ng landscape character, and the
reinforcement of local character and iden(ty
§ Success lies in integra(ng this rela(onship into a strategy for
local economic development, that seeks to maximise the social and economic leverage between producers and the tourism industry
Developing Strategies for Gastronomic Tourism § Key Components of Strategy § Funding § Reduce economic leakage - use local renewable resources
(e.g. packaging)
§ Add value to local produce before it is exported (local
processing, dis(nc(ve local packaging)
§ Connect up local stakeholders (e.g. co-opera(ves/local
marke(ng networks)
§ Take advantage of external resources (e.g. Internet)
Developing Strategies for Gastronomic Tourism § Key Components of Strategy § Marke,ng and Branding - emphasis on local iden,ty and
authen,city in branding, promo(onal and interpreta(on strategies
§ Sell direct and establish a rela,onship with the customer § Quality Standards – clear communica(on and understanding
[Source: Hall et al, 2003, p. 41]
Supply Chains and Local Food Systems
[Source: Hall et al, 2003, p. 58]
National, Regional, & Local Food, Tourism and Development Strategies
Support for Local Produce
Developing Local Produce Countryside Agency ‘Eat the View’ (2000-2006) Aims: § To improve the market for products which: § Come from forms of land management which enhance or
protect an area’s dis(nc(ve landscape, wildlife and historic features and which help conserve soil and water resources
§ Strengthen the sense of place of the area in which they are
produced and in doing so provide an opportunity of the farmer to ‘add value’ to the product
Developing Local Produce Countryside Agency ‘Eat the View’ (2000-2006) Key Areas of Ac,vity: § Raising consumer awareness of the links between products
they buy and the countryside they value
§ Helping increase demand for locally and regionally dis(nc(ve
products that help reinforce the character of the countryside
§ Marke,ng opportuni,es for producers and growers as a result
of product iden(ty with land management systems that promote the character, diversity and environmental value of the landscape
Developing Local Produce Countryside Agency ‘Eat the View’ (2000-2006) Key Outcomes: § ‘Cukng out the middleman’ and bringing customers closer to
the consumer
§ Development of local marke(ng and branding ini(a(ves
emphasising aspects of locality/local dis(nc(veness
§ The development of quality standards and accredita(on systems § Development of new supply chain ini(a(ves § To increase the number of local/community-led food ini(a(ves
Developing Local Produce Report of the Policy Commission on the Future of Food and Farming [Curry Report] (2000) § Key Themes: § Reconnec(ng farmers with their market with
the rest of the food chain
§ Reconnec(ng the food chain with a healthy
and aYrac(ve countryside
§ Reconnec(ng consumers with what they eat
and where it comes from
Developing Local Produce Government Response: The Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food • Integrated ‘joined-up approach to rural
development’
• Entry Level Agri-Environment Scheme to
encourage farmers to farm in a more sustainable way
Developing Local Produce England Rural Development Programme (2000-2006) • Processing and Marke(ng Grant Scheme • The Rural Enterprise Scheme • Voca(onal training for people in farming and forestry
Developing Local Produce England Rural Development Programme (2000-2006) Processing and Marke,ng Grant Scheme •
Improve agricultural processing and marke(ng infrastructure in England
•
Guide produc(on in line with foreseeable market trends
•
Improve/ra(onalise marke(ng channels
•
Improve presenta(on and prepara(on of products
•
Apply new technologies and innova(on
Developing Local Produce England Rural Development Programme (2000-2006) Rural Enterprise Scheme •
Farm relief and farm management services
•
Marke(ng of quality agricultural products
•
Basic services for rural economy and popula(on
•
Diversifica(on of agricultural ac(vi(es to provide alterna(ve/ mul(ple incomes
•
Encouragement for tourist and craj ac(vi(es
Developing Local Produce Rural Development Programme for England (2006-2013)
Developing Local Produce
Developing Local Produce
Developing Local Produce
Developing Local Produce
Developing Local Produce
Developing Local Produce
National and Regional Initiatives and Business Support
National Initiatives 4
Food Tourism Action Plan – Priority Tasks The following priority tasks have been identified within the themes below: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Events and Activities Information Developing Expertise PR and Marketing
Actions
Lead & Partners
Timing
Outputs 3 Events by March 2016 – 120 businesses engaged. The range and number of Food and Drink Awards identified and partners encouraged to work collaboratively to introduce consistent criteria. Development of a sustainability toolkit for Food Tourism events and activities.
1. Events and Activities
The Food Tourism Action Plan for Wales 2015 – 2020
The Food Tourism Action Plan for Wales 2015 – 2020
1.1 Support B2B Events for the food and hospitality sector. 1.2 Encourage the integration of Regional Awards for Food and Drink in Wales.
Welsh Government VW/FD
Year 1
Welsh Government Local Authorities/Private and Public sector Agencies
Year 2
1.3 Work with stakeholders to develop a best practice model for events and activities (Food Festivals, Food Trails etc.). 1.4 Host National and Regional Food Tourism Network events. 1.5 Visit Wales’s Major Events Unit to encourage event owners and organisers to source local/Welsh food and drink at their events wherever possible. 1.6 Ensure coordination between food events emanating from the next round of RDP.
Welsh Government Local Authorities/Private and Public sector Agencies
Year 2
Welsh Government Industry Welsh Government Industry
Year 1
4 Events by March 2016.
Years 1 and 2
Event owners and organisers to be encouraged to source locally wherever possible.
Welsh Government Local Authorities/Private and Public sector Agencies
Year 1
Awareness to be raised between project developers of opportunities to collaborate and share best practice.
National Initiatives
Regional Initiatives
Regional Initiatives
Regional Initiatives
Regional Initiatives
Regional Initiatives
Business Support Tourism South East: § Local Produce Workshops § Chef Master Classes
Master Class - Apples & Pears Master Class - Butchery Master Class - Chocolate Master Class - Fish & Shellfish Master Class - Game Extravaganza Master Class - Gastro Pub Plated Presenta(on Master Class - Home Made Pastas Master Class - Local Cheese Master Class - Local Pork & Cider Master Class - Mushrooms Master Class - Oriental & Fusion Master Class - Seasonal Breads & Pastries
Business Support Tourism South East: § Local Produce Workshops § Chef Master Classes § Welcome Farmer
Quality Assurance
Barriers to Gastronomic Tourism
Gastronomic Tourism Ac3vity 5: •  What are the main barriers to developing local produce and gastronomic tourism?
Barriers to Developing Local Produce Key Issues: § Price § Confusion with other categories of food § Commercial compe(tors § The lack of marke(ng and selling skills, or the resources to
develop their business
§ Compe((on from cheap imports and the purchasing power of
the large supermarkets
§ Increasing levels of standardisa(on in branded pubs and
catering outlets
Barriers to Developing Local Produce Key Issues: § Retailers are increasingly aware of environmental and social
issues but insist that suppliers meet their requirements for scale of produc(on and con(nuity of price and supply; many small producers are unable to meet these requirements
§ Suppliers cannot get sufficient levels of orders from SMEs § Networking: lack of knowledge about who does what and
where?
§ Producers are not used to working collabora(vely § Stringent food hygiene regula(ons makes it difficult for small
businesses to open door to visitors
Learning Outcomes At the end of this session, you should be able to: § Iden(fy the key products and providers in the food and drink
tourism domain
§ Cri(cally evaluate the factors influencing the development of food
and drink as a tourism product
§ Iden(fy and evaluate na(onal, regional and local frameworks and
ini(a(ves for developing food and drink as a tourism product
§ Cri(cally assess poten(al barriers to developing local produce as a
tourism product