It happens that those who, in different roles, manage the ‘res turistica’ continue to look with hope to the so-called ‘new markets’, when planning supply strategies that are usually defined only according to the wishes of the various targets (strategies that in the worst cases are limited to product communication). These are strategies that too often fail to focus on either the unmistakable and essential identity of place or projects able to show the most original facets of the place itself.
The food product of a region is often still treated by many, whether professionals or non-professionals, as an outcome that has little or nothing to do with its homeland. Food is appreciated by the senses of consumers and by critics’ comments, but it is often little recognized and experienced as a medium of cultural identity and of values that must be explored physically, in the journey, even in its terroir.
This second edition is intended to provide methods of approach to reading, understanding and planning in food and wine tourism and then to integrate theory and practice, giving case studies that are and will remain valid for concepts and practices beyond the strict actuality. The starting point is the authors’ direct observations and personal experiences in visiting literally hundreds of Italian and international food and wine producers and operators, the essence of which the reader may grasp in the following pages.
