Are you experienced? Pursuing authenticity and novelty in food tourism

What is food tourism?

According to the definition provided by WFTA (World Food Travel Association), "Food tourism is the act of traveling for a taste of place in order to get a sense of place". Culinary heritage can act as the storyteller of places, a powerful facilitator to understand and explore their history, culture, traditions. This accounts for the popularity of food tourism, whose exponential growth calls for some considerations on the part of tourism developers. 

Which are the fundamentals of food tourism design? 

Exhaustive, first-hand knowledge of supply and demand represents the foundation of planning, regardless of the sector. Yet, the key role of up-to-date investigation of demand trends, both domestic and international (targeting is no optional choice), seems sometimes to be overshadowed by supply analysis - by the way this does not apply only to food tourism...

Getting to the heart of the matter, researches such the Global Report on Food Tourism by UNWTO and the State of the Food Travel Industry report by World Food Travel Association identify strong demand focus on experientiality, authenticity and novelty, the 3 guidelines of effective food tourism design.

Experiential food travel 101

Experiential travel focuses on the active involvement of visitors - feelings, sensations, stories and connections fit to bring to life heritage, culture, history, enogastronomy…: i.e., the unique character of places – their Unique Selling Proposition (U.S.P. for short). Visitors wish to “feel and live” the places they visit, be involved in people’s stories, actively participate in cultural and community life.
They are the protagonists at the centre of a well-designed plot from the very start of the Customer Journey, which we will deal with soon.

Sensorial, gratifying, immersive, experiential. What we are dealing with is the creation of tangible (physical, chemical, tactile…) links between individuals and food/nourishment - definitely more complex and enticing than a quick wine tasting during a tour.

Authenticity and Genius Loci

The quest for the unique and authentic character of places leads towards the investigation of the GENIUS LOCI - i.e. the spirit of the place, its prevailing character or atmosphere.  The connections with above-mentioned Unique Selling Proposition are clear.
Definitely a matter of personality, as it is up to the terroir to differentiate and promote local identity taking in nature and heritage: environment, landscape, history, culture, traditions, gastronomy.
Therefore, the challenge of tourism destinations implies a change of mindset from “territory” to “culinary landscape”.

Novelty and the Customer (Digital) Journey

Tradition and Innovation, the perfect match. Gastronomy evolves and innovation helps us to renew and adapt offers to the everchanging needs&wants of consumers: lifestyles evolve, new target markets join the scenario, dietary requirements determine travel choices, too. In the meanwhile, the tourist customer journey is turning into a single flow of experience made up of three steps (before, during, after); a challenging digital journey (inspiration, research, booking, purchase, experience, review) and a a circular journey as well, hopefully turning satisfied guests into loyal ambassador (welcome to the age of referral economy).

The 6-ingredient recipe for successful food tourism

l  Aim at 360° quality: from taste to manufacturing, from supply chains to certifications (Geographical Indications)

l  Identify Genius Loci and U.S.P. of places

l  Concentrate on professional design of experiences (from plot to storyboard)

l  Include “meet the locals” opportunities

l  Create loyal ambassadors

l  Train train train… focus on products as well as on storytelling, cross-cultural issues, web & social marketing. Long life learning represents one of the distinctive features of successful enterprises in the food tourism sector.

Genoa - Saint George's flag presides the Medieval city walls

Genoa, a case history

Liguria, a.k.a. the Italian Riviera, is an icon of Italian tourism.
One of the cradles of the Mediterranean Diet, it features astounding natural and cultural biodiversity, not to forget about a myriad family micro businesses where know-hows are transmitted orally.

Genoa, the region’s capital, is one of the most important ports of the Mediterranean basin. Known as “la Superba” (i.e. the proud one), this post-industrial city is living a new life as a miss-not destination of 21^st century connoisseur tourism.
Demanding travelers find an abundance of first-class art, architecture (the vastest historical district in Europe, with an amazing Medieval footprint), museums and urban landscapes.
A magnificent city of contrasts, where tiny Medieval alleys (carruggi in the local dialect) packed with ancient botteghe (old shops) share spaces with the grand Renaissance and Baroque palazzi built by the seafaring gentry and culinary heritage is a tantalizing mix of tradition and modernity. 

A Mediterranean crossroads of history, trades, routes, cultures and food: this is the genius loci of Genoa, a subject I have already treated in the past (read my post on the thousand souls of Genoa).  The early Medieval saying Ianuensis, ergo mercator  (a Genoese, therefore a merchant) could feature as an excellent marketing claim. 

Markets, palazzi and food experiences

Genoa has all it takes to claim proper positioning as a Mediterranean food capital (and destination).

Everywhere, culinary heritage meets history and economy. From food markets, bustling with life, goods, colours and scents - e.g., the Mercato Orientale, a 19th-century mercato hosted in the 19th-century cloister of the Chiesa della Consolazione (an Ali Baba's Cave of genius loci) - to the grand spaces of the Palazzi dei Rolli, the 16th-17th-century dwellings of the Genoese seafaring gentry that gained UNESCO Heritage Site status in 2006. The Municipality of Genoa has recently launched the Rolli Experience project to showcase the city's cultural and culinary heritage 

Food experiences and events are designed and led by Ligucibario’s team of senior professionals: expert lecturers Umberto Curti - food historian, adult educator and essayist – and… myself, Luisa Puppo, food&wine cross-cultural communication and storytelling specialist -, as well as a team of skilled chefs and cooking tutors. All the experiences are delivered in English.

Ligucibario's Food Experiences are designed through flexible formulas

Luisa Puppo