Aspects of regional change
FOOD, TOURISM, AND
THE RESILIENCE OF
LOCAL VISITOR ECONOMIES
Professor Henrik Halkier
Aalborg University, Denmark
halkier@cgs.aau.dk
Aspects of regional change
FOOD, TOURISM, AND
THE RESILIENCE OF
LOCAL VISITOR ECONOMIES
1.
Path dependency and development of regions and tourist destinations
2.
Cross-sectoral synergies: Food and tourism in North Jutland and Suffolk
3.
4.
Resilient local visitor economies: North Jutland recovering from the crisis?
Concluding remarks
Professor Henrik Halkier
Aalborg University, Denmark
halkier@cgs.aau.dk
1
PATH DEPENDENCY AND CHANGE
Regions and destinations
From path dependency as (negative) lock-in…
 System of institutions maintaining direction

Firms, regulation, actor behaviour, discourse
 Sudden change, from outside system

(Martin/Sunley 2006, Howlett/Rayner 2006)
(Martin/Sunley 2014, Martin 2010, Mahoney 2000)
Changes in demand and competition
… towards less rigid paths
 Co-existence of institutions in regions
 Plasticity of institutions
(Martin/Sunley 2014, Hassink 2010)
(Strambach 2010, Strambach/Halkier 2013)
 Path creation as contextualised strategic action
Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk
(Karnøe/Garud 2012)
1
PATH DEPENDENCY AND CHANGE
Regions and destinations
Importance of accounting for:
 Development of individual institutions
(drift/conversion)
 Complex interaction of institutions
(Butler 1980)
(layering/displacement)
 Role of agency/actors in continuity and change
(Mahoney/Thelen 2010,
Martin 2010, Hassink
2010)
(Schneiberg 2007,
Karnøe/Garud 2012)
(Ma/Hassink 2013, based on Martin 2010)
Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk
1
RECONCEPTUALISING
TOURIST 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
1
Seaside maturity in North Jutland, Denmark
TIES THAT BIND
Families with kids,
nature-based, seasonal,
neighbouring markets
3000000
2500000
Automobile,
self-catering,
week-based
2000000
Marketing
1500000
Domestic
International
1000000
Civil ownership/co-use,
life-style entrepreneurs,
500000
monopolitistic
rental
bureaus
National ownership,
planning restrictions
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
0
Multi-level sectoral
policy network,
uneven local priority
Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk
1
Seaside maturity in North Jutland, Denmark
TOWARDS A NEW PATH?
No-kid high-spenders,
+culture, short breaks
LAYERING:
Flying in?
LAYERING:
Re-branding
Cross-sectoral networks,
new transport links?
Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk
1: More dull, reinforcing
1. CONVERSION:
Flexible planning
2. DRIFT:
Innovation and
coordination
2: Uneven local change
1
SUMMING UP
Maturity, thinness and economic change
Case study conclusions
 Continued dominance of existing institutions
 Civil ownership of accommodation
 Visitor perceptions of ‘a summer place’
 ‘Thinness’ of innovative initiatives
Wider perspectives
 Usefulness of evolutionary perspective for study of tourism destinations
 Underlines role of cultural values/institutions in regional development
 Need for continued conceptual debate about less rigid paths
Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk
2
CROSS-SECTORAL SYNERGIES
Food 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
2
CROSS-SECTORAL SYNERGIES
Food and tourism in North Jutland and Suffolk
Food practices
FEEDING TOURISTS
FOOD TOURISM
Eating
Sustenance
Experience
Cooking
Generic
Place specific
Retailing
National
Localized
Producing
Standardized
Specialized
Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk
2
CROSS-SECTORAL SYNERGIES
Food and tourism in North Jutland and Suffolk
Conceptualising economic development strategies



Contextual drivers (destination branding, boost local food production, food scares)
Available resources (tourism/food, public/private)
Change strategies (aims, targets)
(Halkier 2006, Dredge & Jenkins 2007)
Food tourism
change strategies
Main level of
intervention
Firm-level
Primary policy target
Food
Tourism
Innovating
Developing experience
Destination Localising consumption
Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk
Promoting image
2
CROSS-SECTORAL SYNERGIES
Food 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
2
Food tourism in North Jutland and Suffolk
FINDINGS: RESOURCES
North Jutland (DK)
Suffolk (UK)
• Seasonal coastal destination
Tourism • Mainly self-catering families
resources • Many ‘grill bars’, few high-end
restaurants
• Seasonal coastal destination
• Mainly self-catering couples
• Many gastro-pubs, few high-end
restaurants
Culinary • No signature dishes
resources • Emerging local quality produce
• No signature dishes
• Expanding local quality produce
Private
sector
resources
• Some small-scale producers
• Some small-scale fishing
• Fragmented tourism sector
• EU LEADER rural programme
Public
• Established, well-resourced
sector
DMOs
resources
•
•
•
•
•
Many small-scale producers
Some small-scale fishing
Some larger ‘quality’ producers
Fragmented tourism sector
Commercial distribution to/via
supermarkets etc.
• EU LEADER rural programme
• Limited support for private-sector
led DMOs
2
Food tourism in North Jutland and Suffolk
FINDINGS: DRIVERS AND STRATEGIES
North Jutland (DK)
Policy
drivers
Initiatives
• Extension of tourism season
• Rural development
• ‘New Nordic’ cuisine
Suffolk (UK)
• Extension of tourism season
• Rural development
• Food scares - provenance
• Destination branding with food • Destination branding with food
• Support for food events
• Support for food events
• (LEADER) food network to
• LEADER diversification projects
link/profile small producers
(and restaurants)
• Signature dishes with local
ingredients/story-telling
• ‘New Nordic’ is urban
• No joint distribution
Challenges • Limited growth of small-scale
quality production
Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk
• Fragmented tourism policy
landscape
• Limited financial resources for
promotion
2
Food tourism in North Jutland and Suffolk
SUMMING UP
Strategies focus on
 Changes visible to visitors: branding, events, menus, (diversification)
 New temporality (outside main season)
 NOT localising food 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
3
Resilient local visitor economies in North Jutland
RECOVERING FROM THE CRISIS?
3000000
2500000
2000000
1500000
1000000
Domestic
International
500000
0
Regional and local strategies focusing on
 Increase visitor spending
 Extend season season
 Innovation rather than marketing
Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk
3
Resilient local visitor economies in North Jutland
RECOVERING FROM THE CRISIS?
Skagen
 Traditional upmarket destination/day visitors
 Passive gazing on nature and culture
 Well-functioning and innovative DMO
Klitmøller
 Recently emerging destination
 Active engagement with nature
 Ongoing skirmishes between local stakeholders
Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk
3
Resilient local visitor economies in North Jutland
RECOVERING FROM THE CRISIS?
Skagen (Frederikshavn overnights)
 International recovery (esp. non-German)
 Limited extension of season
Klitmøller (Thisted overnights)
 Initial German resilience, then slump
 Very limited Danish recovery
 Growing local surfing community
Commercial overnight stays. Overnight stays per year.
Source: Statistics Denmark StatBank.
Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk
3
Resilient local visitor economies in North Jutland
RECOVERING FROM THE CRISIS?
Economic activity associated with
tourists staying in commercial
accommodation by locality. Million DKK,
current prices. Source: VisitDenmark’s
tourist satellite accounts 2008ff .
A different kind of recovery?




Uneven recovery in overnights
Clear recovery in economic activity
Moving towards better-off visitors
Local resilience through growth of domestic tourism?
Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk
4
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Key aspects of regional change
 Development of individual institutions
 Complex interactions of institutions
 Role of agency/actors in continuity and change
 Wider spatial/international context
Policy implications
 Importance of re-thinking the ‘taken for granted’
 Transition from ‘paper synergies’ to ‘real-world change’ uneven
 Policies can be path dependent
 Producer-driving policies may ignore markets/competitors
Henrik Halkier – halkier@cgs.aau.dk
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