Networking and collaboration between tourism and agriculture: food tourism experiences along the National Tourist Routes of Norway

Abstract

Food and culinary routes have been embraced by many destinations (Hjalager & Corigliano, 2000). However, these routes often include narrow geographical areas. The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges and possibilities of networking and collaboration in a food tourism project in a larger geographic area, specifically the Taste of National Tourist Routes (TNTR) in Norway. Although contacts among business operators and participants have been established, different priorities and dissatisfaction among participants suggest that building relationships and sharing knowledge as part of networking and collaboration is difficult. A lack of willingness, involvement and trust are critical factors that affect the success of a well-intentioned network-based food tourism project. Additionally, internal conflicts between government ministries and agencies may also impede the success of a project of this scale. Nevertheless, the outcomes are not solely negative, as the establishment of initial contacts may eventually lead to formal collaborative opportunities and food tourism developments in the future.

Tourism Routes for the Diversification of Rural Livelihoods: A Methodological Approach

“…Direct contact with the producer adds value to the local products and give a personal touch. Through routes the tourism offer is expanded with new products, activities, and destinations [9].…”

“…Through the configuration and structuring of resources and services, they can constitute an experience that takes into account the motivations interests expectations and perceptions of visitors. For the local population, routes can mean the diversification of their livelihoods, particularly when they are structured in a way that seeks to maximise the potential benefits for the local community [5][6][7][8][9][10].…”

The Nexus Between Agriculture and Tourism in the Island of Crete, Greece

“…They found that tourists acquired new tastes during their vacations, eating local foodstuff and assisting in the growth of local agriculture. Mei et al, 2016 have studied the collaboration between tourism and agriculture in Norway. The authors stated that building relationships and sharing knowledge between tourist enterprises and foodstuff producers remains difficult.…”

Models of stakeholder collaboration in food tourism experiences

“…If the pluralism of logic is too obvious and there is a lack of dynamism in actors' behavior (willingness to compromise), initiatives need to undergo significant organizational changes or they fall apart. The success of the food experience thus depends significantly on the compatibility of the actor's motives because this determines their ability to positively collaborate within the network (Mei, Lerfald and Brata 2017).…”