The Algarve has the resources to do everything that is done around the world, in terms of culinary and wine tourism, and "much more". Now, it is necessary that agents from different sectors come together, to create programs that can compete in the international market and put the region on the map of this niche characterized by the strong purchasing power and propensity of clients to travel.
This is the main conclusion of a study carried out by a team of researchers from the University of Algarve, coordinated by Cláudia Almeida, on the potential of culinary and wine tourism in the Algarve, which was presented this Thursday at the headquarters of RTA, in Faro. This work was done under the Algarve Cooking Vacations project, of the Algarve Tourism Region (RTA) and of Tertúlia Algarvia, co-financed by CRESC Algarve 2020.
For the coordinator of this study, the Algarve has everything needed to enter this market, internationally. From the outset, traditional activities and products, from agriculture to the first transformation, but also heritage – built and natural -, history and, of course, a gastronomy recognized abroad.
So what do you need to do? «What is essentially lacking is working in partnership. We have to take all these producers and agents in the tourism sector and start bringing them together. It's as if they were pieces of Lego, which we have to assemble», illustrated Cláudia Almeida, in an interview with Sul Informação.
“We, at work, have identified the different agents who can participate in the programs to be offered. A culinary and wine tourism program involves many different areas, from transport and cooking classes, to visiting the Museum. There is a lot. We have the resources, more than the others, and the possibility to create very nice things», he added.
Because, despite the name of the segment, as a general rule those who buy programs of this kind have as their main motivation to visit the desire to get to know the culture and heritage of the destination. This can often involve learning to do, an area that in itself is full of possibilities. After all, there are those who are willing to pay good money to, for example, participate in a harvest and in the treading of grapes or to learn how to make a traditional dish with those who keep the millenary knowledge of the region's flavors.
In these cases, visitors almost always demonstrate a deep interest in knowing and having direct contact with the techniques, products and utensils used to make the typical dishes of the place they visit – the cataplana, the ham knife, the wooden spoon , etc. -, "which they often end up acquiring, to take home with them".
On the other hand, there are those who are more interested in tasting already prepared dishes or traditional products. Wine and what surrounds it is at the top of the preferences, being in itself a motivation to visit, but there are also sausages, ham, cheeses and, in the case of the Algarve, liqueurs and medronho.
What is certain is that, in all cases, they are tourists who want to know the territory – and not just the coast – and who are interested in the existing cultural offer, be it museums and monuments or the more traditional cultural expressions.
This, of course, is the reality abroad, namely in Mediterranean countries, with strong cultural links to Portugal. Before this study, little was known about this market niche and the best way to structure the programs to be offered.
Currently, in Portugal, there are only 37 programs available on online platforms, privileged places to market this type of offer. Of these, the majority come from the North of Portugal and have a strong connection to viticulture. There are nine programs related to the Algarve, one more involving the Alentejo, according to data collected in the study. In these proposals, the component of cooking classes is low, much lower than other competing markets, namely Italy (the strongest), France, Spain and Greece.
Hence "the great importance" of the work presented yesterday. Through it, it will be possible to structure the offer and give "the kick-off" in an activity that "may be very important for the Algarve, in economic terms", by injecting money directly into the local economy, promoting proximity commercial circuits, not being affected seasonality and have the power to energize inland areas.
Basically, as summarized by the president of RTA, it was a question of «knowing the markets, trends, the profile of tourists, the value chain and marketing and internationalization strategies». "The big motto is to attract tourists with more purchasing power, who come out of the high season and don't just visit the coast," added João Fernandes.
Tertúlia Algarvia, one of the partners of the Algarve Cooking Vacations project, is already, moreover, taking advantage of the knowledge that has been created. «By the end of the month, we want to put two proposals on the BookCulinaryVacations, the main website of the sector, which brings together more than a thousand programs around the world», he revealed to South InformationJoão Amaro, responsible for the Tertúlia Algarvia association, which manages the restaurant with the same name in Vila-Adentro de Faro.
«We will start with two short-term packages, with four days and three nights. These programs will have a centrality here in the Algarve region, although they foresee either a visit to Monchique or a visit to the Tôr winery. They will involve cooking classes, visits to markets and heritage, classes on how to bake bread and other activities», he described.
This will be "an experimental action", even because there are still "eight or nine months of project" and the idea is to understand how the Algarve can position itself in this segment. On the other hand, as João Amaro emphasized, the work that has been done is for all agents in the region.
“A challenge we set is for others to be able to design their own programs. We have already visited more than 30 agents in the region, which, by themselves, are already developing some type of activities, such as presses, wine cellars, producers of aromatic plants and the like, which are already developing some type of tourist entertainment», he challenged.
“Ideally, as many programs as possible, it would be good for everyone, we are not doing this just for us”, concluded João Amaro.
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