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The aim of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of knowledge in food tourism in agricultural and/or fishery areas. The presence and role of different types of knowledge are investigated adopting a multiple case study strategy in the regions Lofoten (Norway) and Maremma Toscana (Italy). The following types of knowledge are investigated: local and scientific food knowledge, tourism knowledge, local and global managerial and political knowledge. The results from the case study indicate that scientific food knowledge and global managerial and political knowledge are particularly important in Lofoten. These types of knowledge are identified as the strengths on which a form of gourmet food tourism could develop. In Maremma Toscana, local food knowledge and local managerial and political knowledge are identified at the basis of the development of a generic form of food tourism. It is concluded that food tourism development requires different types of knowledge and their role is strictly dependent on the specific context. Any policy regarding food tourism should be based on the peculiarities of the specific terroir. Further research is required to investigate the tacit dimension of knowledge and those factors that can favour the establishment of global knowledge-based networks.

Highlights The sustainability of food tourism is limited and new ways of thinking are needed. Considerations about food tourism in relation to animal ethics and sustainability are interconnected. An extensive use of animal-derived food in tourism is in conflict with SDG3 and SDG13.

This study explores the business model literature within nature tourism, focuses on its sustainability-related aspects, and adopts some of the results of the literature review by Reinhold et al. The research questions concern how scholars use and operationalize the business model concept in the context of nature tourism, and to what extent sustainability-related aspects are included and discussed. A literature review was conducted including a total of 18 scientific articles from various disciplines. The findings suggest that scientific literature about business models in nature tourism is very limited, both in relation to the number of articles and their content. With regard to the latter, the business model concept is sometimes adopted without any clear definition, sustainability-related aspects—especially those relative to the environmental dimension—are scarcely discussed, the perspective adopted is usually static, and innovation for sustainability is only marginally included. This indicates a clear gap in the literature and a considerable potential for future studies.

The purpose of this study is to focus on the experience value of tourism in those cases where tourists and residents experience a closer interaction with each other. The aim is to contribute to a better understanding of the concept of experience value in terms of reciprocality and relations-building. Drawing upon central concepts from the co-creation literature, tourist–resident interactions are discussed in the paper and a case study of wedding tourism experience in an Italian village is conducted, employing an ethnographic methodology. The findings suggest that experience value can be qualified as reciprocal, depending on a common denominator that can be associated to humanistic values and other aspects that are complementary to each other, and occurs mainly through spontaneous interactions in common arenas

This paper investigates the challenges and critical factors for the development and management of a form of wildlife tourism that is based on an active and practice-near role of natural sciences knowledge, and that, ultimately, can contribute to sustainability. Based on the study of a specific firm located in northern Norway which has developed a scientific form of wildlife tourism, the main challenges are identified in the limited access to competent and dedicated human capital and the difficulties related to networking, especially in the local area. The case study suggests that the factors that contribute positively to the attractiveness of wildlife tourism are also the ones that tend to affect its development negatively. The peripheral location makes the tourist product exotic, but at the same time it makes the recruitment of qualified co-workers particularly challenging. Similarly, the peculiarities of the individual firm contribute to the uniqueness of the tourist product, but they can isolate the individual firm from the other actors of the local context. Based on the findings, policy implications and directions for further research are identified.

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and illustrate a conceptual tool for the planning of rural sport events. Design/methodology/approach – The proposed model is elaborated based on theoretical contributions from the tourism and event literature, and illustrated with an empirical case concerning a sport and cultural event arranged in the Chianti countryside in Italy. Findings – The results suggest that a form of professionalization of the event design process, understood as the search of high-quality experience for the local population and the tourists, is feasible within the socialization style of model typical of small events. Research limitations/implications – This study is based on selected theoretical contributions, and on a limited empirical investigation. Further research is needed in order to better understand the event design process, and in particular the processes of communication and involvement among the different community members. Practical implications – The practical implications are related to the possible use of the developed model. Originality/value – The theoretical contribution of this study is relative to the use of the concept of tourism experience, and more specifically of the embodied tourism experience, within the context of event design.