Olive oil tourism in Portugal an overview of the existing offer by the main producing regions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29352/mill0218e.37825Keywords:
olivotourism; Portugal; PDO regions; supply; rural developmentAbstract
Introduction: Olive oil tourism, a tourist product developed in rural areas, can be a new tool for the development of olive-growing areas, inducing the development of agriculture, gastronomy, and local culture.
Objective: To observe the current offer and the degree of development of Olivotourism, a tourist product in Portugal, one of the world's leading olive oil producers.
Methods: In a first phase, the regions of olive oil products certified with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in the country were observed, followed by a search for data (resources) on the websites of all municipalities in the mentioned PDO regions. In a third phase, this information was complemented with a search on the Google search engine about olive tourism in the aforementioned municipalities.
Results: Experiences in accommodation units, fairs, and events related to the theme are the tourist resources most used to promote the tourist product. The results also show that the six regions with PDO olive oil are in a development process distinct from tourist activity. The Beira Interior Region, in Central Portugal, is the region of Portugal where olive tourism offers the most tourism, and here there are two olive oil routes that run through almost the entire region.
Conclusion: In Portugal, olive oil tourism is in a state of recent development. As a rural tourism product that can promote rural development, it requires greater attention, coordination, and dissemination by private and public entities at the local and national levels.
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