Peloponnesus: a unique example of unorthodox regional development: Can the gastronomic tradition show the right path?

Metaxas, Theodore and Karagiannis, Dimitris (2015): Peloponnesus: a unique example of unorthodox regional development: Can the gastronomic tradition show the right path?

Abstract

This paper examines the case of the Peloponnese region in southern Greece, as a characteristic example of unorthodox regional development. There are two main obstacles: First, the Peloponnese is divided administratively the wrong way in the Region of Western Greece – which also includes a prefecture of Central Greece, the Region of Peloponnese, while a third section in the east belongs to the Region of Attica. Second, the Peloponnese is treated as a peninsula instead of an "island" that even its name indicates. Its name derives from the first mythical king of the region, "Pelopas", plus the word "island" and it means "the island of king Pelopas". Peloponnese could easily benefit from all the economic advantages enjoyed by an island, due to successful marketing, and rapid tourism development that could achieve as a tourist destination while being characterized as "the largest island of Greece". At the same time, because of its unique geographical position, Peloponnese maintains the entire comparative advantages of a mainland, once before the creation of the Isthmus, it was a peninsula.

Thus, making the most out of this unique blend of advantages and characteristics, Peloponnese could be driven towards sustainable tourism development and economic prosperity. The entity of Peloponnese as an indivisible and integrated whole could be better demonstrated by other components, common throughout the entire region, such as the unique biodiversity, culture, gastronomy and history that the region shares for centuries. These are elements which characterize Peloponnese from one end to the other.

It is also worth noting that through history, all the civilizations that concord or lived in Peloponnese, despite the diversity of their origin and culture (eg. Franks, Byzantines, Turks, Greeks, etc.), never dared to divide Peloponnese, and managed it sufficiently by respecting its natural borders in order to achieve the best possible administration, while treating it as a single and homogeneous area. To the contrary, the practices of the Modern Greek state, have divided Peloponnesian administration, practically into three deferent regions the last three decades, with catastrophic results. So, other models of efficient administration should be studied in order to facilitate Peloponnese to return to sustainable growth. In particular, food & wine tradition in the Peloponnese, as a guide which unite the whole region, could indicate the proper way and a future model of regional development. Traditional products, such as wine, and olive oil “embrace" the whole Peloponnesian territory through the “Wine and Olive oil trails”. The traditional areas of wine and olive production and the great potential of food tourism show the unity of Peloponnese. The benefits of such a holistic administrative approach that faces Peloponnese as a single entity would be better highlighted through a comparison with another neighboring region, Sicily.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Gastronomic tourism, Regional development, Peloponnese, Greece
• Subjects: R - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics > R1 - General Regional Economics > R11 - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes; R - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics > R5 - Regional Government Analysis; Z - Other Special Topics > Z1 - Cultural Economics ; Economic Sociology ; Economic Anthropology

References

(AER) The Assembly of European Regions (2006), White Paper on The Role of the Regions in Reconnecting Europe with its Citizens

ASERO, V., and PATTI, S., (2009a). Prodotti enogastronomici e territorio: la proposta dell’enoturismo. In: Becheri, E. (Ed.), XVI Rapporto sul Turismo Italiano (pp. 637-668). Franco Angeli.

Asero, V., and Patti, S., (2009b). Developing the Tourist Market through the Exploitation of the Typical Products. In: The Annals of “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galati, Fascicle I/2009, Year XV: 5-14.

Becattini, G., (1989). Riflessioni sul distretto industriale marshalliano come concetto socio-economico. Stato e Mercato, 25: 111-128.

Benjamin, S. (2006). Sicily: Three thousand years of human history. Steerforth Press, New Hamphshire.

Bessière, Jacinthe (1998). Local development and heritage: traditional food and cuisine astourist attractions in rural areas. Sociologia Ruralis 38 (1):21–34.

Bessière, Jacinthe (2001). The role of rural gastronomy in tourism. In Lesley Roberts and Hall D (eds.): Rural Tourism and Recreation: Principles to Practice. Wallingford: CAB International

Bonow, M. Rytkönen, P. (2012) Gastronomy & tourism as regional development tool –the case of JÄMTLAND Charters, S., and Ali-Knight, J., (2002). Who is the wine tourist? TourismManagement, 23 (3): 311-319.

Cristiana Cristureanu, Ana Bobircă (2007). Airports Driving Economic and Tourism Development, The Romanian Economic Journal.

Christos Ladias, Eleni Stamatiou (2006) ''Regional policy in Greece of tomorrow. The perspectives of the ''broader regions''

Eurobarometer (2009). The role and impact of local and regional authorities within the European Union, Opinions on the different levels of public authorities and awareness of the Committee of the Regions, Report,

Fonte M. and Grando S. (2006). A local habitation and a name, Local Food and Knowledge Dynamics in Sustainable Rural Development, CORASON, WP6 – Local Food Production Comparative report.

Getz, D. 1998. Wine tourism: Global overview and perspectives on its development. Wine TourismŠPerfect Partners: Proceedings of the First Australian Wine Tourism Conference. Canberra: Bureau of Tourism Research.

Hall, C.M., & Sharples, L. (2003). The consumption of experiences or the experience of consumption? An introduction to the tourism of taste. In C.M. Hall, L. Sharples, R. Mitchell, N. Macionis, & B. Cambourne (Eds.), Food tourism around the world: Development, management, and markets (pp. 1–24). Oxford

Hjalager, A. M., & Richards, G. (2002) Tourism and Gastronomy, Routledge, London.

Hjalager, A.M. & Richards, G. (2011). Tourism and Gastronomy. Routledge, New York USA.

Jepson, T. 2005. National Geographic traveller: Guide for Sicily, Russian Edition. National Geographic, Washington D.C. USA.

Larner, M. 2008. Wine roads of Sicily, three suggested itineraries to tour Sicily’s wineries, villages and ancient ruins. Wine Enthusiast Magazine, pages 6-12.

Madeleine Bonow, Paulina Rytkönen (2012) Gastronomy & tourism as regional development tool –the case of JÄMTLAND

Mitchel Hall, C., Sharples, L., Mitchel, R., Macionis, N., Cambourne, B. 2003. Food Tourism around the world: development, management and markets. Elsevier Ltd, Burligton USA.

Mitchell, R. D., (2006). Influences on post-visit wine purchase (and non- purchase) by New Zealand winery visitors. In: Carlsen, J. and Charters, S (Eds.) Global Wine Tourism: Research, Management & Marketing (pp. 95-109). CABI, Wallingford.

Moskvin, A. (2010). Sicily, the land of volcano and cathedrals: historical guide, Russian edition. Veche Publishing, Moscow

Telfer, David J. and Geoffrey Wall (1996). Linkages between tourism and food production. Annals of Tourism Research 23:635–653.

Tsartas P. Lagos D, (2003). Critical appraisal of Regional tourism Development and Policy in Greece

Tellstrom, R., Gustafsson, I.-B., Mossberg, L. (2005) Local Food Cultures in the Swedish Rural Economy. Sociologia Ruralis, Vol. 45, No. 4: 346-359.

Van Westering, J. (1999). Heritage and gastronomy: The pursuits of the 'new tourist', International Journal of Heritage Studies,Vol. 5, No. 2: 75 – 81.

Williams, P. (2001). The Evolving Images of Wine Tourism Destination,Tourism Recreational Research, 26(2): 3-10.

Winter, M., (2003). Embeddedness, the new food economy and defensive localism. Journal of Rural Studies

Yi-Chin L, T.E. Pearson and Liping A. Cai, 2011 Food as a form of Destination Identity: A Tourism Destination Brand Perspective Tourism and Hospitality Research Vol. 11, 1, 30–48

York Aviation Study (2004). The social and economic impact of airports in Europe , p 23.