Conclusions

The Case of Rioja and Burgundy

4.10 Conclusions

As we have seen, tourism is fundamental for the preservation and the development of European rural areas, which in turn are part of our traditions and as such need to be protected. Wine and food routes have played an important role, proving to be a successful tool in the management of rural destinations, able, on the one side, to develop a favorable and homogenous tourism culture among all the different opera- tors on the territory, promoting an environment of cooperation among stakeholders with diverse interests, and, on the other, to create a coherent “destination product”

to be successfully promoted on the markets.

Among the activities that wine and food routes perform to fulfi ll their mission, this study decided to focus on the events’ organization, in the belief that they can turn into crucial tools in the communication and promotion of their respective ter- ritories, being, if well planned, great experience enhancers for tourists.

Franciacorta Wine Route event calendar has been reviewed and confronted with that of two other important wine regions in Europe: Rioja and Burgundy. Even with different features, due also to the diverse culture of the three areas and of their inhabitants, the events analyzed show strong roots in the local identity, being the example of the religious tradition of the fi estas in Spain, or the always stressed link to the terroir , in the sense of natural environment, in France.

What appears in all the cases studied is that the location plays a very important role in creating the atmosphere of the event, being that indoor, where usually a his- toric building is chosen—again conveying the history and the culture of the place—

or outdoor, in the streets, among the local inhabitants that, being themselves part of the festivities and celebrations, enrich the experience lived by the visitors, contribut- ing to render it authentic and, at the same time, to make tourists feel welcomed.

As a matter of fact, another very important aspect in planning events for sponsor- ing rural territories and their productions is the direct and active relationship that they are able to create with the tourist demand, not only in the communication and promotion on the target markets, but mainly through the service offered during the

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event itself, which, personally involving visitors, have a much greater impact on their perceptions and future decisions. Inclusiveness is the watchword in the contact with local communities, or with wider portions of the territory ( in primis vineyards and countryside), as well as in terms of pricing policy and hosting services/facilities.

Only through a relationship and an empathy with the tourist/audience the loca- tion in the wide sense of the territory as a whole, or terroir , with the social and cultural implications, as we have defi ned it, can change its role from being a passive scenario to a stage where the action takes place, where a story is told, that of that specifi c local community and its productions, which are the result of centuries of history and traditions.

This is the reason why events, if well organized, are so successful among the foodies and the general public: as they allow to experience the story. And that is why they are such a fundamental tool in the promotion of rural areas and wine and food routes.

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© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016

M. Peris-Ortiz et al. (eds.), Wine and Tourism, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-18857-7_5