Food in Slow Tourism: The Creation of Experiences Based on the Origin of Products Sold at Mercat del Lleó (Girona)

Abstract

Previous studies have highlighted the role of local food as a source of destination differentiation and tourist motivation, and as part of the understanding of slow food tourism. However, few previous researchers have discussed the proximity degree of products delivered in food tourism spaces such as markets, and how they contribute to the creation of slow tourism experiences. Based on the analysis of the origin of fruits and vegetables being sold at Mercat del Lleó, the municipal market of Girona (Catalonia, Spain), this paper investigates the value of local supply in an urban food tourism system. Fieldwork included nine interviews with market vendors, and data regarding 301 fruits and vegetables sold at the market were obtained. While results show a wide representation of local and regional produce, fruits and vegetables of national and international origin predominate over proximity products. The article reveals that there is still potential to improve the relationships between local food, identity promotion, and the sustainable experiences that attract slow tourists to urban destinations.

Valorising the rural pantry: Bridges between the preservation of fruits and slow tourism in Catalonia

“…Recent research also highlights the relevance of agritourism from the perspective of small producers who engage with sustainable food production and responsible local food systems [50] that contribute to the preservation of local food heritage and landscapes. This, in turn, informs a sustainable development of tourism where "food emerges as an avenue toward the configuration of a food-based tourism offering that relies on locally grown products and can lead to the development of slow food tourism experiences" [20]; p.1995). In relation to the tourism activity [25], states that local products distributed through SFSC help to develop tourism in rural areas through a powerful tourist image based on agri-food production which is regarded as a source of slow food tourism [56,70].…”

“…This paper aims to expand the understanding of the local-based offer of fruits in Catalonia, previously analysed in a recent study in Mercat del Lleó, in Girona (see Ref. [20]. It is worth to mention that Catalonia is a region known by the uniqueness of its gastronomy [1], which is a mix of local products that come from the land and the sea, and whose culinary traditions are marked by a very strong seasonality.…”