THE TASTE OF NORTH JUTLAND Food, production, experience and place Henrik Halkier, Tourism Research Unit –

THE TASTE OF NORTH JUTLAND Food, production, experience and place Henrik Halkier, Tourism Research Unit – 1. Taste of North Jutland – what and why? 2. Wider perspectives: Markets, networks, place branding 3. Case study: Local food to international tourists 4. Beyond Taste of North Jutland

TASTE OF NORTH JUTLAND in a nutshell What?  Website in Danish  Promote producers of quality food in region  Targets professional buyers Why?  Strengthen collaboration between producers  Build regional food cluster  Supplement customer- oriented activities (food festival, food theatre, …) Who?  North Jutland region  Local authorities  National ministeries  Major food producers  VisitNordjylland Henrik Halkier, Tourism Research Unit –

TASTE OF NORTH JUTLAND - wider perspectives What/not?  Focus on quality products rather than high-volume mass production  Focus on small(ish) niche producers, NOT big mass producers  Support creation of new high-end niche markets  Through loosely-coupled network (visibility >> direct interaction) Why/not?  Assumed market failure: Small producers less visible / cooperative  Assumption that place is added value (additional quality)  Assuming that small producers can more easily be influenced  Soft cluster governance, initiative mainly with private actors Henrik Halkier, Tourism Research Unit –

TASTE OF NORTH JUTLAND - wider perspectives Core characteristics  Internal networking >> direct promotion  Combining cluster building AND place branding Cluster challenges  A fragmented industry with external ownership  Long tradition of mass-production  Cluster-building an element of wishful thinking Place-branding challenges  Place-branding through food: The Taste of Anywhere / Nowhere  Absence of recognisable unique selling point / profiling  External and/or internal audiences? Henrik Halkier, Tourism Research Unit –

LOCAL FOOD TO INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS Case study From tempting prospects of synergy …  tourists will eat anyway  food experience add to attraction of destination  local food an exotic quality  boost local food production directly/indirectly  Reduce consumption of food imported by tourists … to international food experience production chain  regional food experiences must be produced  regional food made accessible to visitors  attractions of regional food communicated to visitors  regional food experiences demanded by visitors ?? Henrik Halkier, Pennie F. Henriksen & Luigi d’Ambrosio, TRU –

F T F F T T RDA DMO INTER/NATIONAL CONTEXT Exchange to be increased Communication =+ Organi- sation =Localise suppliersMarket local products +Build cross-sectoral networks Food tourism destination brand LOCAL FOOD TO INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS Strategic alternatives Henrik Halkier, Tourism Research Unit –

Focus on  local and/or quality food  desirable well-off visitors  extension of season Key actor interviews  food producers  food retailers  local policy makers tourism / DMOs food / RDA networks (local trade council) LOCAL FOOD TO INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS Research design Henrik Halkier, Tourism Research Unit –

 Production and perceived demand: local food experiences, tourists and locals, what qualities?  Private drivers: financial crisis, limited private resources, strength in numbers, a unified product  Private conditions: product complementarity, limited direct competition, brand compatibility  Private results: producer-driven collaboration, cross- referrals, supplier relations, bottom-up networks  Public aims: bridging actors, bundling products, knowledge sharing, access  Public initiatives: Network, distribution channels, branding LOCAL FOOD TO INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS Markets and networks matter Henrik Halkier, Tourism Research Unit –

 Many strategies unfolding, synergies  Links to wider strategies for extending season?  Holliday homes: Self-catering and beyond?  Degree of fit with development of food demand by (international) tourists? Communication =+ Organi- sation =Localise suppliersMarket local products +Build cross-sectoral networks Food tourism destination brand LOCAL FOOD TO INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS Markets and networks matter Henrik Halkier, Tourism Research Unit –

BEYOND TASTE OF NORTH JUTLAND - some policy pointers Implementation  Review of food resources / entrepreneurs  Review of demand trends  Long-term projects of networking and marketing  Different (food) cultures of producer groups / intermediaries Politics  Copy / paste strategies, sexy policies, follow the money  Fiercely competitive market for speciality food / place branding  Internal versus external audiences  Need to be seen to address traditional sectors Henrik Halkier, Tourism Research Unit –