Sweetening tourist experiences

A new approach to food tourism in rural areas

Abstract

While the relationships between food and tourism are largely analysed, the study of the role of sweets in food tourism is limited. This research presents a study of rural producers of sweets, alfajores and jams in the Campos, Ríos y Lagunas region of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the objective to analyze the challenges and opportunities of the elaboration of sweets as an agricultural activity, and the contribution it makes to local communities through the process of awarding tourism value to local products. Based on interviews with twelve local producers, results show the difficulties for the protection and promotion of the local product, and discuss the role of the producers in sweet-based food tourism. This research addresses a gap in food tourism based on the role of sweets in the planning and development of rural tourism. While this activity generates synergies that contribute to regional economic development, future collaboration and cooperation among public and private stakeholders will increase the relevance of sweet products in tourism.