Italian emigrants who return as tourists to rediscover their roots are strongly linked to the land of their ancestors (71%), appreciate its cuisine (83%), purchase and consume Italian agri-food products even upon returning after the trip (over 61%). % have purchased them in the last 6 months and over half have consumed them several times a week) and promote them to relatives and friends once they return home (more than 87% of the total). In the end, for over 73%, Italian olive oil is of superior quality, despite the underdeveloped market abroad, both due to the difficulty in finding the product and the high prices.
This is what emerges from the research “Tourism of Roots and Agri-food Products. Paths and strategies to enhance olive growing and rural areas", created by CREA in collaboration with the University of Calabria (Department of Business and Legal Sciences) as part of the project “Oleario – Where Italy leaves its mark” which aimed to explore the potential to expand our agri-food market and encourage the development of rural areas with an olive-growing vocation, a phenomenon that could affect around 60 million Italians abroad and a possible income of 8 billion euros.
The Roots Tourism Survey – Two surveys were conducted through the administration of questionnaires and direct interviews. An initial qualitative investigation explored the topic and offered a first cognitive approach, useful for defining the statistical investigation. It was carried out through in-depth interviews and focus groups involving 40 subjects, including traditional tourists, representatives of associations of Italians abroad and in Italy, public administrators, producers of food and wine products (in particular olive oil), representatives of institutions , experts and tour operators. The statistical survey, in which over 600 local tourists participated, was conducted through a structured questionnaire, made up of 52 questions, available online in Italian, English, Spanish and Portuguese. It focused on the connection that can exist between the roots' journey to Italy and the purchase, consumption and promotion of agri-food products and Italian food among friends and acquaintances, both during the stay in Italy and upon return, also investigating the possible role in the contrast at Italian Sounding. In relation to oil, the lack of awareness in the world of Italian extra virgin olive oil was highlighted not only in our country, but above all, abroad.
The starting context – The project aims to investigate the promotion of Italian agri-food production abroad, with a focus on the olive oil sector, thanks to roots tourists, i.e. emigrants and their descendants, who want to reconnect with their homeland or their family during the holidays, aiming, in particular, at the so-called "nostalgia products" (among these primarily oil), i.e. traditional local goods, mainly food products, closely associated with the land of their roots, which for them have the " taste of home", but who buy for the quality, thus becoming true ambassadors abroad of Made in Italy. Last but not least, through roots tourism, local productions can be promoted together with the territories themselves, also thanks to 'territorial brands'.
Some rural areas are showing great interest and making investments in oil tourism which local tourists appreciate because it offers experiences and routes in which there is a direct relationship with businesses and territories. The connection between the niche of traditional tourists and the olive growing companies that are open to hospitality can therefore represent a model of income diversification, an added value for tourists and companies, an opportunity for rural areas characterized by a vast olive growing heritage .
“What characterizes roots tourism is the strong emotional component linked to family affection, memories, traditions and food – he declares Barbara Zanetti, researcher at CREA Policies and Bioeconomy – It is a segment of tourism that finds its right dimension in rural areas as it is possible to combine the offer of a heritage of traditions, local knowledge and gastronomy with the search by tourists for the roots to keep alive and pass on to generations the memory and traditions of their country of origin. The investigation was born with the spirit of finding new opportunities for developing tourism by connecting it to two cornerstones of our culture and our cultural identity: oil and the olive tree".
