"Produc(e·)in‘·Tourism"

The ACEEPT Project Week´s theme “Produc(e·)in’·Tourism” is a pun mingling “produce” as a verb and noun:

As a noun, “Produce in Tourism” refers to a type of ‘agrotourism’ involving agricultural commodities that have been produced on farms or ranches in rural areas. In times of globalization and standardization tourists are increasingly seeking for authenticity, quality and sustainability in their lives. So, regional produce and their production processes have become essential parts in many ‘tourism products’ (such as a visit to a winery or an oil mill as part of a culinary package tour).

“Producing” (in its verbal sense) also includes different types of ‘industrial tourism’. In general, industrial tourism is a form of tourism in which production sites peculiar to a specific region are essential components of the tourism product. This involves the use of closed-down production facilities as well as still operating ones for tourist purposes. In many old industrial regions the tourist re-use of idle manufacturing or mining sites etc. is common. Besides the architectural attractiveness and cultural importance of these heritage sites, many of them now also serve to stage – not to say “to produce” – events, such as exhibitions, festivals etc.. Moreover, numerous still producing companies in various industries have opened their doors to visitors so that they can learn about the production process, product features, company history etc.

Transitions are smooth. In all the above-mentioned cases tourists visit production sites to see and experience contemporary or traditional production processes of products and produce characteristic of the destination. In summary, industrial as well as agricultural producers have been “Producing Tourism”.