Tourism and Agriculture Revival - Flagship initiatives in a fragile region

Abstract

Based on content analysis of documents and on interviews with local agents, focus on the innovative touristic initiatives related to the production of wine, olive oil and other typical productions in Alentejo region, Portugal. The majority of these flagship initiatives are oriented to new demanding, affluent and urban market niches. These enterprises, although based on synergies between farming and tourism, represent somehow a discontinuity with the surrounding environment, and differ from the traditional small tourism units scattered in the territory. However these units possess the capacity to build innovative economic resources, taking their lead from the existing territorial matrix and mobilizing the local knowledge and skills, therefore contributing to revitalize forgotten places and, to a certain extent, also to reshape the identity of the areas in which they operate.