Il cibo, da eredità delle culture locali ad attrattore del turismo gastronomico.

FROM ITALIAN FOOD HERITAGE TO LOCAL GASTRONOMY TOURISM In the development of Italian areas, traditional local food products based on a specific conception of food heritage play an important role. At the same time, food has become an important factor in the search of local identity. Purpose of this paper is to study the development of gastronomy as a socio-cultural factor from the perspective of tourism. Food heritage as a resource for tourism, food heritage as a particular value to increase territorial identity. Authenticity is a central aspect of local distinctiveness. Italian foods are often authentic and “special”. Safeguarding and enhancing typical and traditional products is very important to maintain and promote social identity as well as environmental safety and economic development. The essay discusses the strong relationship between food and identity: it is not surprising that food becomes an important place marker in tourism promotion. In recent years a growing interest has been placed on tourism experiences and attractions related to food (consumption of cultural heritage similar to the consumption of arts and historic places). Food specialties are particularly localized and the link between location and gastronomy can be used in a number of ways in tourism, especially in that period of time in which local, authentic and slow are the principal requests for leisure times and vacations. The paper analyzes the principals aspects of specialty foods and focuses on the innovative view of food as cultural heritage and economic and tourist attraction, with a particular reference to the Italian food valleys in the light of a local and rural renaissance and an increased tourist attraction based on regional and local foods and food industry.