© Sandro Molin Pradel
Objectives
GelatOn the Road is designed to provide tourism professionals with knowledge on innovations and methodologies about green and sustainable tourism sites, with a particular attention to gastronomic attractions.
The project goal is to improve the circular economy performance, better manage transports related to cultural tourism, and increase the use of renewable resources for buildings and tourism sites. Our project also aims to increase outreach and knowledge on best practices on sustainability related to cultural tourism, thus increasing the potential to develop innovative environmental solutions.
We are proud to establish a specific quality label for gelato makers that want to join the project’s new gelato road with clear and strict sustainability requirements both in terms of production of the gelato and the management of their own sites. We believe that our project will contribute to the strengthening of the transnational creation and circulation of European works and artists, with a focus on promoting and circulating European gastronomic cultural heritage, supporting slow open-air tourism, and increasing outreach of gastronomy.
Additionally, we aim to ensure a fast and complete recovery of the cultural tourism sector from the Covid-19 pandemic, and facilitate the inclusion of diversity and minorities, addressing gender equality and supporting women businesses.
© Gerhard Burian
European Road Of Gelato (EroG)
The Road and Cultural Tour concept is the main approach and methodology behind the project. It will be developed and based on historic facts (the Grand Tour, that involved the main cities and areas of artistic and cultural interest in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries), following a geographical connection of the involved countries but also the historic spread of artisanal gelato in Europe.
It refers to an itinerary throughout European regions guiding the visitors to the most meaningful places about gelato production or information. The European Road of Gelato (ERoG) is both a physical itinerary to invite tourists to visit the sites connected to gelato culture and an immaterial network among realities that have common interests and experiences in this sector. The Road is a way to catch the attention and attract visitors towards both the topic of gelato making and the regions where this product is mostly produced.
Around the concept of the Road, the project will also build other activities, such as the assessment of quality and sustainability of the product, the mapping of stakeholders and ingredients providers, creation of a EU label, an itinerant museum, and more activities to train professionals and disseminate about project contents.
Methodology
The European Road of Gelato will include the main sites linked to gelato production and culture, starting from the project partners but ready to be enlarged with more subjects and sites around the EU.
It will be recognisable thanks to dedicated maps and itineraries, a corporate image and identity reported. The main tools and activities that will be implemented during the project are:
Sustainability protocol: the main methodology for quality and sustainability for gelato production. The aim is to define a common manifesto with principles and criteria to ensure a high-quality gelato and the sustainability for its production.
Definition of a Manifesto and Protocol of Understanding: Vision and Mission of the project to be accepted by the subjects adhering to the Definition of the Road of Gelato.
Definition of a Sustainability Label (mark/logo) based on the Manifesto, to be provided to registered subjects (in form of stamps) together with dedicated QR codes for each EroG member (connected to the digital App). The ERoG will be advertised with local signs along itineraries, dedicated App, maps, web and printed materials, etc.
Establishment of the gelato itinerary: The European Road of Gelato (ERoG), that will touch 12 European countries, with direct involvement and engagement of artisanal gelato makers, also by the request to create new flavours using local traditional products (GELATO Flavour Contest), as a way to promote both local products and the gelato makers using them. The promotion of regional products and know-hows will link the different regions involved in the project and enrich the cultural exchange among the involved countries. The ERoG will be advertised with local signs along itineraries, dedicated App, maps, web and printed materials, etc.
Gelato Passport: a tool to promote and recognize gelato parlours of excellence and to engage the general public of artisanal gelato.
A Pop-Up Museum Tour will be created in the sites touched by the Road, as a way to further promote the Road and its values and adherents. The itinerant museum will be a way to involve stakeholders in each stop and create linked events, training, information activities about artisanal gelato, while enhancing the network among the different sites of the EU Road of Gelato (ERoG).
© Annalisa Carnio
Target Groups
The project aims to target different groups within the tourism industry that will benefit from the implementation of its sustainability practices.
The main target group involves cultural tourism professionals, intended as professionals of the gastronomy tourism sector. However, the general public and audience have the great potential to benefit from the implementation of the project activities, with a particular reference to the gelato museum.
More in detail, the project aims to directly reach the following target groups:
Cultural tourism operators
Including regional development agencies, chambers of commerce, travel designers, restaurants, and other relevant stakeholders.
Technology providers
Relevant technology providers will be directly addressed by the project. Technologies are referred to as artisanal gelato production methods.
Artisanal gelato producers
Who will benefit from the project's training and capacity-building activities, as well as from the promotion of their products through the Gelato Passport and other communication tools.
General public and audience
This target group will be directly addressed in all the project activities.
Gelato museums, fairs, and events
Will be targeted specifically through the
adoption of the quality label for gelato production. They will be reached mainly through the promotional activities for the project itinerant museum (that will promote the quality label). A special effort will be given by the Lead Partner LFD which organises annually the most well-known and oldest gelato fair (MIG fair).
Children
Will be directly addressed specifically during the itinerant museum.
Researchers and educators
Will benefit from the project because it will provide them with relevant knowledge and information about gelato production methods and gastronomy innovations that they can use for their own research and/or exploit them to further develop innovative knowledge.
CCIs and business support organisations
Will be provided with innovative
solutions and sustainable models which could be promoted among companies of
the food sector, but also other cross-setting business activities.
Local associations / local food producers
Regional rural areas of Europe are characterised by many traditional agri-food products, whose production and distribution is often supported by local associations organising typical local food events (e.g. “sagre” in Italy). These products might become the protagonists of new gelato recipes and therefore local producers could benefit from the project and will be targeted by specific communication activities.