Mussels, Tourism and Community Development: A Case Study of Place Branding Through Food Festivals in Rural North Jutland, Denmark

Abstract

Rural areas are facing prospects of marginalization and peripherality in an age of globalization where the attention of governments and media focuses increasingly on the (lack of) competitiveness of urban and metropolitan regions in Europe. Many rural areas have, therefore, searched for ways to improve their position vis-à-vis other localities by mobilizing local resources and employing policy tools that are believed to foster indigenous social and economic development, including place branding. Unsurprisingly, using food as a means to profile rural localities has become widespread, with branding efforts revolving around local food festivals that commodify local cultural resources. The article attempts to illuminate the challenges faced by branding processes in rural areas through a case study of Løgstør, a small rural town in North Jutland, Denmark, which builds its branding efforts around an annual mussel festival. The analysis focuses on the relationship between stakeholders and branding strategies, and in particular aims to uncover the role of the food festival in aggravating or alleviating inherent tensions between different stakeholders and target groups. It is argued that in the case of Løgstør making a food festival pivotal, a signature event for the place branding efforts has been created, which appeals to both external and internal audiences, and that this may hold wider lessons for place-branding initiatives in other small towns across Europe.

Food and Gastronomy for Sustainable Place Development: A Multidisciplinary Analysis of Different Theoretical Approaches

“…Food festivals and food events play an important role in place branding based on F&G [67]. They also serve as an attraction for food tourism development.…”

“…Several authors identify links between local identity and festivals [70][71][72]. Festivals support the development of pride in a place and contribute to the development or reinforcement of community identity [67], the maintenance of community values [73] and the celebration of the community itself [71].…”

From “clone towns” to “slow towns”: examining festival legacies

“…Despite 'slow tourism' being a broad concept that covers everything from the slowing down of activity to the pursuit of well-being (Fullager, Markwell and Wilson, 2012), the literature on food festivals particularly encapsulates its central values -engendering a slower pace for tourists and a deeper form of cultural engagement (McKercher and Du Cros, 2003). They offer drivers which help to maintain communities and a sense of place, as well as enabling visitors and locals to engage with the local cultural offering (Blichfeldt and Halkier, 2014). Ultimately, this local identity becomes infused with organic community-driven placemaking practices that enhance destination sustainability (Sofield, Guia and Specht, 2017) and promote alternative consumption patterns (Griffin and Frongillo, 2003).…”

Stakeholders, collaboration, food, and wine: The case of Jumilla's Gastronomic Days

“…Another side of research has attempted to identify the impacts of the festival on the local community, for instance, in terms of branding, or overall socio-economic development (e.g., Food and wine stakeholders 3 Blichfeldt & Halkier, 2014). The present study is concerned with some of these impacts, in that it investigates the efforts of various festival stakeholders, and how these efforts may lead to tangible outcomes for their community.…”