Geographical indications and traditional products as the basis of enogastronomic tourism: significance for the development of rural communities (on the example of Italy)

Abstract

This article is dedicated to exploring geographical indications and traditional products as the foundation for the development of gastronomic tourism and their collective impact on the development of rural communities. Italy has been chosen as the research subject – one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, a country with the highest number of registered geographical indications, and a well-established tradition of rural tourism. Analyzing Italy’s experience regarding the contribution of traditional products and geographical indications to the development of national tourism and the economy of rural communities and the state as a whole allows for assessing Ukraine’s development vectors in this field. Based on the analysis of bibliographic databases, the significant relevance of such research is evident. Despite some publicity, there are relatively few publications on this topic in Ukrainian scientific journals. In contrast, English-language publications cover geographical indications, gastronomic, and wine tourism much more extensively both thematically and territorially. The research relies on periodicals of relevant international organizations, public associations, etc. Analysis of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s annual reports revealed that over 90% of the world’s geographical indications in recent years fall into the categories of «wines and spirits» and «agricultural products and food». Regarding Italy, statistical data from the World Tourism Organization confirmed its stable position in global tourism (fifth place in tourist arrivals and receipts for the last decade or more) and a surplus growth in the tourism balance (19 billion USD in 2019), leading the UN WTO to characterize it as a «country of powerful growth». Recent publications from the World Tourism Organization noted significant recovery rates of international tourism in Italy in the post-pandemic period. According to Coldiretti, the national confederation of agricultural, fishing, agri-food, and environmental sectors in Italy, the projected contribution to the country’s economy in 2023 exceeds 30 billion euros from national and foreign tourists who increasingly choose to vacation in rural areas. This trend is attributed to Italy’s leadership in gastronomic and wine tourism, with over 5,000 traditional product names and 838 products and wines protected by geographical indications (as of 2023, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry of Italy), as well as the immense potential of agro- tourism. The article also highlights the significant role played by the representation of Italy’s unique agro-landscapes as cultural land- scapes of UNESCO World Heritage, FAO World Agricultural Heritage (GIAHS project), etc., in the development of rural communities. The analysis and overview of the current implementation of the system of geographical indications and guaranteed traditional features in Ukraine allowed for identifying certain strategic directions for applying Italian experience in Ukrainian territories.