Culturally grounded tourism and local food in rural development (CULTOURFOOD) – Mat, kultur og reiseliv

Food, culture and tourism is a strategic institute program at Centre for Rural Research funded by the Norwegian Research Council and running four years (2007-2010). The main goal of the program is to develop a knowledge and competence base regarding culturally grounded tourism and local food. This can serve as a knowledge base for rural and regional development. Within the program several sub-projects address the following topics: Scope and structure of business activity connected to food, culture and tourism; how tourist hosts develop tourist products in enterprizes combining agriculture and tourism; how the “rural room” of tourism and ideas of rurality is constructed and understood; co-operation within the field of food, culture and tourism; and organization and innovation. Comparative studies of concepts within food, culture and tourism in Norway and Austria are to be undertaken.