Roots Tourism and Made in Italy

Prof. Andrea Guizzardi, 
Department of Statistical Sciences, Centre for Advanced Studies on Tourism (CAST), University of Bologna.

Title: ‘Tourism dynamics in Italy in the light of economic cycles and climate change’.

Abstract: In this paper we jointly analyse the effects of the economy and climate on the dynamics of domestic tourism in Italy. We examine both the linear and non-linear effects of these variables in different seasons (tourism products) with a quantitative approach that considers a wide range of climate variables, not just a single index as is often the case in the literature.  Each season (tourism product) is treated in isolation, measuring the interactions (when present) between tourism economy and climate over the last 33 years. The results clearly show that climate change and economic factors significantly influence tourism demand, with significant variations observed across regions and seasons. In particular, the non-linear relationships between climate and industry output warn policy makers and industry stakeholders that climate change may become more influential than economic factors in shaping tourist decisions, especially if global warming and rainfall concentration continue to intensify.
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Prof. Francesco Calabrò, 
Department of Civil Engineering, Energy, Environment and Materials - DICEAM, Mediterranean University.

Title: Conservation of Cultural Heritage between overtourism and sustainability: load capacity assessments.

Abstract: The paper intends to highlight the ICOMOS research directions and guidelines, also in partnership with SISTUR, aimed at elaborating operational tools able to reconcile the needs of Cultural Heritage conservation with those of its valorisation, starting from the evaluation of the load capacity of sites and territories, but also looking at the involvement of local communities, cooperation among stakeholders, visitors' education, in other words strategic planning.
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Prof. Sonia Ferrari,
Department of Business Sciences - University of Calabria

Title: The promotion of Italian agri-food products in the world through root tourism

Abstract: Roots tourists show high levels of place attachment and a strong spiritual and emotional involvement with their country of origin.These sentiments give rise to a desire to support the land of their roots, making investments, promoting it together with its products and creating positive word-of-mouth that promotes its image. Frequently, this also leads to considerable interest in traditional local food products, which reflect the culture and lifestyle of the community.Generally, for these tourists, food and wine is not the main motivation for the trip, but one of many interests, which drives them to seek out, try and buy, to take home, the typical food and culinary products of the places visited.They are particularly interested in so-called ‘nostalgia products’, i.e. traditional local goods, mainly food products, closely associated with their roots.Once back home, these tourists are eager to support their homeland and reconnect with it, so they consume the products they met and bought during their trip and introduce them to friends and relatives. 
In this way, a true virtuous circle is frequently established, amplified by the attachment to the territory of this segment of visitors, which allows them to promote a geographical area together with its products.
Moreover, thanks to the action of root tourists, who know, appreciate and promote Italian products around the world, Italian Sounding can be limited. In particular, through root tourism local productions and territories can be promoted together, also through ‘territorial brands’, i.e. real brands that have a very strong relationship with a place and represent its uniqueness or non-repeatable elements