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

An emerging literature on gastronomic events highlights the growing interest among academics, event organisers and development agencies in identifying potential or actual outcomes from gastronomic events. Partly in response to such interest, this study seeks to contribute to the literature on events management, studying the contribution of various stakeholders involved in the ‘Gastronomic Days’ of Jumilla, Spain. Semi-structured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with the managers and owners of four participating businesses to the event. The data collection was complemented through on-site visits, observations, and interviews with eight other local businesses. The findings underline the significance of collaboration among these participants to grow and sustain the event, as well as voluntary efforts by event ‘stakeholders.’ Importantly, a common objective was identified in the form of enhancing the image of the local products, and overall that of the region, to ‘convert’ residents, and also outside consumers and tourists to Jumilla’s products. These findings have significant implications for Jumilla’s community. In particular, the importance and efforts of a region’s food stakeholders in contributing to adding value and improving the local food culture emerge as useful aspects, with potential benefits for local food growers, hospitality and tourism sectors, and residents

Festivalisation of edible [food] heritage and community participation: From a multi-stakeholder perspective

This chapter focuses on collaborative actions and alliances between local communities and stakeholders to develop a successful food-themed festival. A case study of the Tatebayashi Noodle Grand Prix in Japan identifies that the bottom-up approach, initiated by the Tatebayashi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the private sector including the Udon Society of Tatebayashi, is the driver of regional redevelopment strategies. The case study also finds a different approach to rejuvenate an economically disadvantaged peripheral region, mainly agricultural region, using a food festival of which food heritage is in the centre of every effort of festival development, management and broader activities of destination marketing. The significance of food heritage as the fundamental of contemporary food product development in tourism is widely shared by the local communities, and stakeholders are actively involved in not only promotion of its food but also the education of intangible food heritage for younger generations