Aspects of regional change FOOD, TOURISM, AND THE RESILIENCE OF LOCAL VISITOR ECONOMIES

1. Aspects of regional changeFOOD, TOURISM, ANDTHE RESILIENCE OFLOCAL VISITOR ECONOMIES Professor Henrik Halkier Aalborg University, Denmark halkier@cgs.aau.dk

2. Aspects of regional changeFOOD, TOURISM, ANDTHE RESILIENCE OFLOCAL VISITOR ECONOMIES • Path dependency and development of regions and tourist destinations • Cross-sectoral synergies: Food and tourism in North Jutland and Suffolk • Resilient local visitor economies: North Jutland recovering from the crisis? • Concluding remarks Professor Henrik Halkier Aalborg University, Denmark halkier@cgs.aau.dk

3. 1 PATH DEPENDENCY AND CHANGERegions and destinations • From pathdependency as (negative) lock-in… • System of institutions maintainingdirection(Martin/Sunley 2006, Howlett/Rayner 2006) • Firms, regulation, actorbehaviour, discourse • Suddenchange, from outsidesystem (Martin/Sunley2014, Martin 2010, Mahoney 2000) • Changes in demand and competition • … towardsless rigid paths • Co-existence of institutions in regions (Martin/Sunley 2014, Hassink 2010) • Plasticity of institutions (Strambach 2010, Strambach/Halkier 2013) • Path creation as contextualisedstrategic action (Karnøe/Garud 2012) Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

4. 1 PATH DEPENDENCY AND CHANGERegions and destinations (Ma/Hassink 2013, based on Martin 2010) (Butler 1980) Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

5. 1 RECONCEPTUALISINGTOURIST DESTINATIONS Actor groups and institutions in destination development. Source: Henrik Halkier & Anette Therkelsen: Breaking out of Tourism Destination Path Dependency? Exploring the Case of Coastal Tourism in North Jutland, Denmark, German Journal of Economic Geography, 57, 1-2 Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

6. 1 Seaside maturity in North Jutland, DenmarkTIES THAT BIND Families with kids, nature-based, seasonal, neighbouring markets Automobile, self-catering, week-based Marketing Civil ownership/co-use, life-style entrepreneurs, monopolitistic rental bureaus Multi-level sectoral policy network, uneven local priority National ownership, planning restrictions Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

7. 1 Seaside maturity in North Jutland, DenmarkTOWARDS A NEW PATH? No-kid high-spenders, +culture, short breaks LAYERING: Re-branding LAYERING: Flying in? Cross-sectoral networks, new transport links? 1: More dull, reinforcing • CONVERSION: Flexible planning • DRIFT: Innovation and coordination 2: Unevenlocalchange Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

8. 1 SUMMING UPMaturity, thinness and economic change • Case studyconclusions • Continueddominance of existing institutions • Civil ownership of accommodation • Visitor perceptions of ‘a summer place’ • ‘Thinness’ of innovative initiatives • Widerperspectives • Usefulness of evolutionaryperspective for study of tourism destinations • Underlines role of culturalvalues/institutions in regional development • Need for continuedconceptualdebateaboutless rigid paths Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

9. 2 CROSS-SECTORAL SYNERGIESFood and tourism in North Jutland and Suffolk From tempting prospects of synergy … • tourists will eat anyway • food experience add to attraction of destination • local food an exotic quality • boost local food production directly/indirectly … to international destination food brand • attractions of regional food communicated to visitors • regional food experiences demanded by visitors • regional food experiences must be produced • regional food made accessible to visitors Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

10. 2 CROSS-SECTORAL SYNERGIESFood and tourism in North Jutland and Suffolk Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

11. 2 CROSS-SECTORAL SYNERGIESFood and tourism in North Jutland and Suffolk • Conceptualising economic development strategies • Contextual drivers (destination branding, boost local food production, food scares) • Availableresources (tourism/food, public/private) • Change strategies (aims, targets) • (Halkier 2006, Dredge & Jenkins 2007) Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

12. 2 CROSS-SECTORAL SYNERGIESFood and tourism in North Jutland and Suffolk Two case studies: North Jutland (DK), Suffolk (UK) • Coastal destinations with rural hinterlands • Food tourism ambitions, no ‘magnificent culinary heritage’ • Suffolk – wheat/barley, poultry, pork, vegetables • North Jutland – grain, milk, pork, seafood • Interviews with producers, retailers, restaurants, policymakers Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

13. 2 Food tourism in North Jutland and SuffolkFINDINGS: RESOURCES

14. 2 Food tourism in North Jutland and SuffolkFINDINGS: DRIVERS AND STRATEGIES Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

15. 2 Food tourism in North Jutland and SuffolkSUMMING UP Strategies focus on • Changes visible to visitors: branding, events, menus, (diversification) • New temporality (outside main season) • NOT localisingfood chain Strategic differences reflect • Perceived/experienced intensity of demand • Degree of availability of local food (producers, retailers) • Alternatives to diversification for small farmers (wage labour) • Dominant political agendas: Tourism (DK) versus foo (UK) • (National) preferences for particular policy instruments (networks vs grants) Long-term strategic weaknesses • Limited funding for promotion/DMOs (UK) • Limited addressing of production/distribution density (DK) • Weak combination of branding AND development in sector-based governance (DK/UK) Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

16. 3 Resilient local visitor economies in North Jutland RECOVERING FROM THE CRISIS? Regional and local strategies focusing on • Increasevisitorspending • Extend season season • Innovation ratherthan marketing Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

17. 3 Resilient local visitor economies in North Jutland RECOVERING FROM THE CRISIS? Skagen • Traditionalupmarket destination/dayvisitors • Passive gazingon nature and culture • Well-functioning and innovative DMO Klitmøller • Recentlyemerging destination • Active engagement with nature • Ongoing skirmishes between local stakeholders Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

18. 3 Resilient local visitor economies in North Jutland RECOVERING FROM THE CRISIS? Klitmøller (Thisted overnights) • Initial German resilience, then slump • Verylimited Danish recovery • Growing local surfing community Skagen (Frederikshavn overnights) • International recovery (esp. non-German) • Limited extension of season Commercial overnight stays. Overnight stays per year. Source: Statistics Denmark StatBank. Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

19. 3 Resilient local visitor economies in North Jutland RECOVERING FROM THE CRISIS? A different kind of recovery? • Unevenrecovery in overnights • Clear recovery in economicactivity • Movingtowardsbetter-offvisitors • Local resiliencethroughgrowth of domestictourism? Economic activity associated with tourists staying in commercial accommodation by locality. Million DKK, current prices. Source:VisitDenmark’s tourist satellite accounts 2008ff . Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

20. 4 CONCLUDINGREMARKS Keyaspects of regional change • Development of individual institutions • Complexinteractions of institutions • Role of agency/actors in continuity and change • Widerspatial/international context Policy implications • Importance of re-thinking the ‘taken for granted’ • Transition from ‘paper synergies’ to ‘real-worldchange’ uneven • Policiescanbepath dependent • Producer-drivingpoliciesmayignoremarkets/competitors Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk

21. 4 FURTHER READINGS Henrik Halkier and Anette Therkelsen (2013) Breaking out of Tourism Destination Path Dependency? Exploring the Case of Coastal Tourism in North Jutland, Denmark. German Journal of Economic Geography 57: 39-51. Laura James and Henrik Halkier (2015) Regional development platforms and related variety: exploring the changing practices of food tourism in North Jutland, Denmark. European Urban and Regional Studies. Henrik Halkier and Laura James (2015) Destination Dynamics, Path Dependency and Resilience: Regaining Momentum in Danish Coastal Tourism Destinations, in Patrick Brouder et al. (eds.) Tourism Evolutionary Geography, Routledge. Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk