Cittaslow, Slow Cities, Slow Food: Searching for a Model for the Development of Slow Tourism

University of Massachusetts - Amherst From the SelectedWorks of Linda L Lowry June 2011 CittaSlow, Slow Cities, Slow Food: Searching for a Model for the Development of Slow Tourism Contact Start Your Own Notify Me Author SelectedWorks of New Work Available at: http://works.bepress.com/lowry_linda/3 Travel & Tourism Research Association, 42nd Annual Conference Proceedings: Seeing the Forest and the Trees – Big Picture Research in a Detail- Driven World, June 19-21, 2011 CittaSlow, Slow Cities, Slow Food: Searching for a Model for the Development of Slow Tourism Linda L. Lowry Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management University of Massachusetts – Amherst and Misoon Lee Department of Hotel and Tourism Management Kyungsung University ABSTRACT Slow Tourism, a new trend that originated in Italy, is now traversing the globe. This study traces its evolution, synthesizes existing definitions, and develops a conceptual model for the stages of Slow Tourism development. It uses a qualitative, exploratory framework situated in the paradigms of constructivism and critical theory and a critical, interpretative form of inquiry and analysis. Data sources included various types of secondary data as well as primary data collected during personal interviews conducted in November of 2010 with key leaders in the first two CittaSlow designated cities in the U.S. Findings suggest that Slow Tourism, which can occur in both rural and urban settings, is an outgrowth of the Slow Food Movement and is tied to CittaSlow through the explicit guarantee of unique slowness offered by these officially designated cities. The presence of Slow Food Convivia, a critical mass of CittaSlow designated cities, and practices of socio-political consumption emerged as important stages in its development. Keywords: CittaSlow, slow cities, slow food, slow tourism, special interest tourism, sustainable development INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Is it special interest tourism, political consumption, a new form of sustainable tourism development, or all of the above? At first glance, it might appear that Slow Tourism is synonymous with Soft Tourism that was coined in the 80’s (Broggi, 1985; Krippendorf, 1987) and used as a way to differentiate alternative types of tourism which are perceived to be more environmentally and socially acceptable (e.g. rural, eco, green, agricultural, individual, smaller scale) from the ‘harder’ forms of mass, packaged or large-scale tourism (Alejziak, 1999; Lane, 1994; Slee, Farr, & Snowdon, 1995,1997; Snowdon, Slee, & Farr, 2000; Williams & MacLeod, 2006). The authors of this study concur with Snowden, et al. (2000) that the many terms that are used to characterize alternative forms of tourism that have arisen in opposition to the genre of mass tourism or as a result of the need for more sustainable development suggested by the Bruntland Report (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987) should not be regarded as synonymous. Although the various forms of alternative tourism may share similar ideology with regard to the social, cultural, and physical environment (i.e. more awareness and Lowry, L.L. & Lee, M. (2011). CittaSlow, slow cities, slow food: Searching for a model for the development of slow tourism. In Travel & Tourism Research Association, 42nd Annual Conference Proceedings: Seeing the Forest and the Trees – Big Picture Research in a Detail- Driven World, June 19-21, 2011 in London, Ontario, Canada. © 2011 Omni press ISBN# 978-0- 615-49436 Reproduced with permission from the Travel and Tourism Research Association For full conference proceedings see http://www.ttra.com Page 1 Travel & Tourism Research Association, 42nd Annual Conference Proceedings: Seeing the Forest and the Trees – Big Picture Research in a Detail- Driven World, June 19-21, 2011 concern), they may originate from different social/political movements, take different paths of development, and attract different market segments. In this study, Slow Tourism is treated as a unique phenomenon with its own particular origin, set of characteristics, and praxis. Spawned by the Slow Food Movement which began more than two decades ago in Bra, Italy, CittaSlow (Cittaslow International, 2010a) has played a leading role in creating the trendy new form of tourism – Slow Tourism (World Travel Market & Euromonitor, 2007). Like all new forms of tourism, it lacks a universally agreed on definition as well as a clearly identifiable market segment or model for its development. The aim of this paper is to trace its evolution, synthesize the existing definitions and build a conceptual model for the development of Slow Tourism. Political activism is the foremost goal of the Slow Food Movement which was founded in 1989 as a protest to the proliferation of the fast food industry invading Europe. Its Slow Food Manifesto which was written by founding member Folco Portinari, on December 10, 1989 and approved by delegates from 15 countries explicitly reveals the political nature of the movement. The authors of this study believe that the Manifesto shown in Table 1 is the genesis not only of Slow Food but also of Cittaslow, ‘Slow City’ design, the Slow Movement, Slow Tourism, and Slow Tourism Development: Table 1: Slow Food Manifesto 1989 “We are enslaved by speed and have all succumbed to the same insidious virus: Fast Life, which disrupts our habits, pervades the privacy of our homes and forces us to eat Fast Foods. To be worthy of the name, Homo Sapiens should rid himself of speed before it reduces him to a species in danger of extinction. A firm defence of quiet material pleasure is the only way to oppose the universal folly of Fast Life. May suitable doses of guaranteed sensual pleasure and slow, long-lasting enjoyment preserve us from the contagion of the multitude who mistake frenzy for efficiency. Our defence should begin at the table with Slow Food. Let us rediscover the flavours and savours of regional cooking and banish the degrading effects of Fast Food. In the name of productivity, Fast Life has changed our way of being and threatens our environment and our landscapes. So Slow Food is now the only truly progressive answer. This is what real culture is all about: developing taste rather than demeaning it. And what better way to set about this than an international exchange of experiences, knowledge, projects? Slow Food guarantees a better future. Slow Food is an idea that needs plenty of qualified supporters who can help turn this (slow) motion into an international movement, with the little snail as its symbol.” (Portinari, 1989, p.1) Slow Food (hereafter referred to as SF) now has over 100,000 members in 1,300 local chapters called convivia and a network of 2,000 food communities who practice the sustainable production of quality foods (Slow Food International, 2011). Italy has the most number of convivia (285) followed by the U.S. with 250 local chapters. Today, the key tenet of SF is that “everyone has a fundamental right to the pleasure of good food and consequently the responsibility to protect the heritage of food, tradition and culture that makes this pleasure possible” (Slow Food International, 2010, para. 1). In addition, food should be ‘good’ (i.e. fresh and local), ‘clean’ (i.e. produced in an ecologically sustainable way) and ‘fair’ (i.e. available for all and with fair pay for small-scale producers) (Slow Food International, 2010, para. 4). Lowry, L.L. & Lee, M. (2011). CittaSlow, slow cities, slow food: Searching for a model for the development of slow tourism. In Travel & Tourism Research Association, 42nd Annual Conference Proceedings: Seeing the Forest and the Trees – Big Picture Research in a Detail- Driven World, June 19-21, 2011 in London, Ontario, Canada. © 2011 Omni press ISBN# 978-0- 615-49436 Reproduced with permission from the Travel and Tourism Research Association For full conference proceedings see http://www.ttra.com Page 2 Travel & Tourism Research Association, 42nd Annual Conference Proceedings: Seeing the Forest and the Trees – Big Picture Research in a Detail- Driven World, June 19-21, 2011 Although the current rhetoric of SF is less strident than its 1989 Manifesto, it is no less political in nature. Sassatelli and Davolio (2010) have developed a compelling analysis of SF from an institutional and a cultural perspective as well as its position in the field of critical consumption. They found that SF plays a role in consumption practices that are alternative, ethical, or political in nature and note that these types of consumers “use their power of choice to modify market relations, in order to make them fairer and more conducive to a good life for all” (p. 205). In addition, they found that consumption politics associated with SF are complex (p. 207) and bring into question the problem inherent in a middle-class movement such as SF. They posed the question: Is it an alternative and subversive form of consumer activism or is it a type of consumerism available only to the elite (p. 208)? Their conclusion was that it is a hybrid (p. 228) and the authors of this study concur. The SF movement is predicated on the notion of co- production through consumer choice and consumers with the true ability to make consumption choices are educated, informed and have the financial means to purchase products from local, small-business which are often more expensive than mass, fast produced products. Cittaslow, an Italian based initiative, was established in 1999 by the mayors of four towns (Greve in Chianti, Bra, Orvieto, and Positano) and the president of Slow Food. These four towns became the first Cittaslow certified cities. Not only was Cittaslow’s goal “to enlarge the philosophy of Slow Food to local communities and to government of towns, applying the concepts of ecogastronomy at practice of everyday life” (Cittaslow International, 2010a, para. 2); they also developed a Charter which is now called the Cittaslow International Charter (hereafter referred to as Charter) (Cittaslow International, 2009).

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