BUILDING CROSS-SECTORAL REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLATFORMS: THE CASE OF FOOD TOURISM IN NORTHERN EUROPEAN DESTINATIONS Laura James Henrik Halkier

Specialisation or variety? Marshall’s clusters or Jacobs’ externalities? Related variety: optimal distance between sectors = close enough for understanding, far enough to learn Quantitative studies measuring degrees of ‘variety’ in regions (preconditions), correlating these with economic outcomes Qualitative case studies of individual cross-sectoral regional initiatives Lahti (Harmaakorpi, 2006), Bavaria, Skåne, Styria (Cooke, 2012), Tuscany (Lazzeretti, 2010) Policy implications: identifying and promoting potential future cross-sectoral synergies From cumulative clusters to combinatorial platforms?

Is relatedness enough? What kind of ‘relatedness’? Sectoral Cognitive proximity (Nooteboom, 2009), 'organised proximity' (Torre and Rallet, 2005); ‘social proximity’ (Boschma, 2005) Inputs and outputs, infrastructure, generic technologies Innovation involving different groups is often difficult, even within sectors/firms How is cross sectoral development achieved in practice? How are policies and practices of food production, retailing, catering and tourism reimagined and reconnected?

Food tourism platforms in NW Europe Why food and tourism? Branding, boost local food production, extend tourist season From feeding tourists (industrialised, national distribution, pre fab, limited seasonality) To ‘Local’, artisan, traditional, quality, experiences… Key practices Producing and processing food, retailing, catering and hospitality, developing tourist products/experiences, promoting tourism Key actors Destination management organisations, local/regional/national government, farmers, producers/processors, private tourism firms (hotels, attractions), catering trade (restaurants, cafes), wholesalers, supermarkets…

Food tourism platform in NW Europe Two case studies: North Jutland (DK), Suffolk (UK) Coastal destinations, rural hinterlands, food tourism ambitions Suffolk – part of the ‘bread basket of England’: wheat/barley, poultry, pork, vegetables North Jutland – pork, seafood Both regions – summer season, self catering, families (NJ), couples (S), Interviews with producers, retailers, restaurants, policymakers

Food Tourism North Jutland (DK) Food Tourism Suffolk (UK) Drivers ‘New Nordic’ cuisine Extension of tourism season Rural development Food scares – provenance Extension of tourism season Rural development Resources Some small-scale producers Some small scale fishing Long-standing tourism sector EU LEADER rural programme Established, well-resourced DMOs Many small-scale producers Some small scale fishing Some larger ‘quality’ producers Long-standing tourism sector EU LEADER rural programme Commercial distribution networks to supermarkets etc. Key findings / 1

Food Tourism North Jutland (DK) Food Tourism Suffolk (UK) Initiatives Destination branding with food Support for food events LEADER food network to link producers with restaurants Signature dishes with local ingredients/ story-telling Destination branding with food Support for food events LEADER diversification/innovation projects Challenges New Nordic is urban Establishing joint distribution Expanding small-scale quality production Localising food chains Lack of iconic (local) cuisine Fragmented tourism policy landscape Limited financial resources Key findings / 2

Conclusions Focus on visible changes (menus, events) & new temporality (outside main season) rather than localising food chain Drivers – push vs. pull Resources – private (food) vs. public (tourism) Initiatives – diversification vs. networks Challenges – development AND branding