Conference Proceedings

16th Toulon-Verona Conference "Excellence in Services"

University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 29-30 August 2013
pp. 611-628 - ISBN: 9788890432736

AGGREGATION AND INNOVATION IN RURAL TOURISM: TOURIST

DESTINATION OF THE HUNDRED COUNTRY HOUSES
Vito Roberto Santamato, University of Bari, Italy, vitoroberto.santamato@uniba.it; Nicolaia
Iaffaldano, University of Bari, Italy, nicolaia.iaffaldano@uniba.it; Nicola Micucci, University of
Bari, Italy, nicolamicucci@gmail.com
Key words: aggregation, country houses system, destination management, sustainable tourism

1. Introduction
With reference to all those Countries that, like Italy does, possess the core resources and
attractors which are exemplified in Crouch and Ritchie model (1999), tourism is nowadays the
main field to which it would be useful to appeal in order to promote development and to defeat
crisis. Its not coincidence that the European Union has recognized tourism as the economical
centrepiece both of the present millennium and of the post-Fordist era and that it has recommended
all States to assign it a core role for what concerns economic policies.
It would be useful to observe how much the heritage of material, archaeological, historical and
natural resources expresses the potential vocation of the territory to tourism. Our Country, being
endowed with a unique heritage of resources has in this sense a huge potential.
Still, its vocation finds its real fulfilment only when the material aspects of the tourist product are
conveniently completed with an adequate supply of hosting services including catering,
entertainment and cultural activities and when all these services are managed in order to realise a
local system of tourist supply.
Insofar, the tourist product can be seen as a complex supply system, characterized by the
presence, in a determined territory, of tourist resources and services, these last coming from the
cooperation between different subjects and being governed with a systemic point of view.
The supply of a destination could be thus conceived in terms of lines, selection and array of
products and all the marketing approaches used should be useful to characterize the supply in terms
of business areas, segments and niches to be reached. All this with reference not only to structured
and closed tourist packages, but also to the supply of flexible solutions which allow the tourist to
co-create his own value (Normann, Ramirez, 1994; Rispoli, Tamma 1995).
Insofar, the appealing potential of a destination will be even more found in the ability to offer
multiple tourist experiences to multiple demand segments, the first characterized by different

Vito Roberto Santamato has written paragraphs 3; 5; 7; Nicolaia Iaffaldano has written paragraphs 1; 2; 4; Nicola
Micucci has written paragraph 6.
A valuable contribution in order to paragraph 5 has been provided by Flavio Roberto Albano.

methods of selecting, combining and enjoying of all attractive, appealing to flexible and open
modalities of organization of the product (Franch, 2002, p.29).
Tourism also represents a driver for territorial competitiveness, this being a theme rich of
complexity if we consider that the competitiveness of a destination could be meant as its ability to
attract tourist flows despite the presence of the high competition coming from other destinations.
The destination management aims at reducing one dimension of competition, such as that which
takes place between the companies of the destination, in order to strengthen the level of
competitiveness of the destination outwards.
The goal of the present work is to study the perception of territorial competitiveness that tourist
operators have and to analyze their inclination to establish collaborative relationships. The analysis
has been developed using the attribute based perspective (Enright, Newton, 2004; Crouch,
Ritchie, 1999).
2. Objectives
The paper aims at analysing particular network organisational systems which make of the
strategic aggregation the core of the value generation processes.
An analysis has been developed of the new organisation of the rural area in a macro dimension,
through a strongly stimulating and innovative cultural-tourist route, realised with the cooperation
of public and private operators and formed by ancient country houses, woods, ravines,
archaeological parks and rocky settlements.
The latest researches conducted at an international level about the tourist demand trend show the
presence of a remarkable increase in the interest for rural destinations, characterised by a strong
identity vocation, where to spend a holiday being surrounded by a social and environmental
dimension, which is deeply different from the urban one. In this way, the market opportunities for
rural tourism supplies seem to be highly remarkable.
A tourist destination could be defined as a set of products, services, natural and artificial
attractions able to draw tourists to a specific place (Pearce, 1989; Leiper, 1995; Martini, 2002,
p.70). This set becomes a unique product through fruition experience lived by the tourist, who
selects, on the basis of his own preferences, the elements which will be part of his holiday (Hu,
Ritchie, 1993; Martini, 2002, p.70). Moreover, the destination management activity can acquire
importance in respect of the quality goal could, because it proposes supply policies that, having the
nature of destination and not of company, recover that overall view which determines the evaluation
of the holiday quality by the tourist.

A fundamental goal of destination management activity is that of elevating the holiday quality,
acting both on the intrinsic quality of each service obtained during it, and on the improvement of
their integration: this allows to optimise the fruition experience lived by the tourist (Martini, 2005).
Thus, the supply quality can be meant as a consequence of the comparison between the
expectations reached before the holiday and the experience lived on field, the latter being
characterised not only by the fruition of the single services, but also by the system of relationships
that the tourist puts to use with the territory in all its aspects. It stands to reason that the holiday is
an experience and this implies a deep involvement of the single person in his/her interaction with
the natural, cultural and social environment.
Tourist destinations become, thus, places that, through the interaction of the activity of multiple
local operators, enter the tourist market. In literature these destinations are defined as belonging to
the community model1 of destinations. The ability of this category of destinations to give the
local tourist supply a systemic dimension, represents a fundamental phase in the process of
elaboration of a strategy of tourist development.
Concerning methodology, the goal of the destination management is that of leading a community
destination to acquire the shape of network supply, in order to satisfy the demands requirements
through the arrangement of advanced tourist products.
Its useful to point out that managing a network supply means to disclose the systemic nature of
the destination in the eye of the tourist, by appraising the interdependencies between the different
operators in order to optimise the chances for the tourist to structure his holiday through the
selection of services and attractions available in the place, thanks to a wide and well-structured
informative context, which could contribute to define the alternative chances useful to spend the
holiday time (Franch, 2010, pp.48-49).
All this requires the creation, at a local level, of a synergic logic between the operators engaged
in the supply and underlines the significant role of the public authority as it acts on the coordination
of local operators. The need for supply coordination in the destination is proportional to the demand
variety.

The classification proposed by Bieger (1996), taken from Flagestad and Hope (2001) and also by Martin (2005)
distinguishes between destinations community model and destinations corporate model. The community model of
destinations consists of specialized individual independent business units (service providers) operating in to
decentralized way and where no unit has any dominant administrative power or dominant ownership within the
destination (Flagestad, Hope, 2001, p.452). For authors, European destinations generally reenter in this category, in
which The management lies with political and administrative institutions of the community (Flagestad, Hope, 2001,
p.452). In the case of corporate model, the destination is dominated by the presence of a prevailing enterprise (player)
that manages or strongly influences the other working operators in the locality. The dominant player is able to practice a
strong control on the main factors of attraction.

Indeed, when the demand gets more complex, in the sense that tourists become harbinger of
needs and preferences, the spontaneous fruition model of destination is obviously called into
question.
The community destinations have to find a way to coordinate the supply, in order to increase the
range, the variability and the integration of the services and attractions available. The strategic
response of a community destination to the evolution of tourist demand consists in the ability to
confer variety, variability, and integration to the supply through the pursuit of inter-company
cooperation and interdependence between public and private operators, creating innovative
proposals capable of guaranteeing various forms of leisure time to tourists with articulated needs
(Martini, 2005, p.100).
Moreover, another key issue becomes that of the involvement of local economic operators and of
the residing community in the formulation of strategic decisions related to the positioning of the
local supply in the tourism market.
In addition, it should be added that the community model involves a territorial development of
endogenous type, which is directly related to the ability of innovation at a local level, so that the
development and survival of the territorial system will depend on the ability to manage natural,
artificial and human resources, so as to ensure self-propelling system (Franch, 2010, p.61).
Therefore, the community model destinations draw from the close connection with the territory
the basic element of their existence. In order to understand the specificity of management in these
destinations, it would be appropriate to recall the approach to local development which makes of its
being rooted into the territory a key element of the tourist supply competitiveness, together with the
enhancement of its identity. According to this approach, the territory can be considered a resource
not only as physical and geographical context in which the activity of companies and local
operators takes place, but also as a set of elements which have been establishing themselves over
time, such as identity, culture, social relationships, skills, which have a dynamic role on economic
activity through social capital resources available in the territory itself (Franch, 2010).
The idea that every territorial system, in order to produce value and to be competitive, must have
strong local roots but an equally strong global projection, is thus reinforced.
The success of tourist destinations is influenced by the structural aspect of the territory and by its
factors of attractiveness / competitiveness (Porter, 1998; Enright, Newton, 2004). The aim of the
paper is the study of the factors of regional competitiveness - according to the attribute based
perspective (Enright, Newton, 2004; Crouch and Ritchie, 1999) - perceived by tourist operators and
the analysis of their propensity to develop collaborative relationships.

The territory then, becomes a competitive factor as it becomes able to offer companies not only a
physical and geographical context in which to perform their activity, but also a favourable
environment, made of "dense" social relations, open to the cooperation and to the participation of
all those networks, external to the company, which are essential to establish its success.
Following the Destination Management literature, the research will highlight the attitude towards
cooperation between local operators, rural communities, country houses, public institutions, which
aims at enhancing the tourist system made of natural and artificial attractors and of services, in
order to improve the competitiveness of the destination itself.
3. Methodology
For on desk analysis, the search for theoretical models and managerial tools useful to the
territory operators will take place in studies of Destination Management (Pechlaner, Weiermair,
2000; Franch, 2002); while, on field analysis will be conducted by questionnaire, aimed at
investigating the determinants of the competitiveness of a rural tourist destination. (Crouch, Ritchie,
1999; Enright, Newton, 2004).
The questionnaire has been administered, from May to June 2013, to a sample of ten country
houses out of a universe made of over 100 country houses, most of which are agricultural and zoo
technical firms and agritourisms, situated in the rural tourist destination of Crispiano and Grottaglie
in the Ionian area.
For on desk analysis, the theoretical model of competitiveness analysis of the tourist destination
by Crouch and Ritchie (1999) has been taken into account, the same model later taken up by
Enright and Newton (2004).
Crouch and Ritchie believe that the causes of the destination competitiveness can be
distinguished as follows:
-

core resources and attractors: its a matter of core resources, that is those resources

which constitute the fundamental reason which draw tourists in a specific destination. In this section
of the model2: geomorphology, culture and history, market ties, mix of activities, special events,
entertainment and the tourist superstructure are found.
-

supporting factors and resources: those elements which allow tourist companies to

carry out their activity in a competitive way. In this section of the model all general infrastructures
(transport services, water distribution, communication services, etc.) are found, together with those
resources which ease the development of tourism (financial services, quality of local human

Refer to Ritchie J.R.B., Crouch G.I., The Competitive Destination: a sustainability perspective, Tourism
Management, vol. 21, n. 1, 2000, p. 3.

resources, knowledge and education level, etc.), the destination accessibility (airlines policies, road
connections, airports dimension, beaches, etc.).
-

destination management: those activities of destination management which weigh on all

resources and factors of attractive, modifying their value. The activities of destination management
are characterised by the ability, through specific organisational and managerial processes, to
appraise and reinforce the system of resources and services of which the destination is composed. In
this section of the model the destination marketing and all the activities aimed at improving the
destination services are found, together with the creation of an efficient informative system, the
organisation of the destination and the safeguard of all resources.
-

qualifying and amplifying determinants of competitiveness: those factors which, even

in negative ways, can condition the other 3 components. In this section of the model: the location,
the general level of costs, the general level of security and the destination brand are found.
Figure 1. Destination Competitiveness and Sustainability (Source: adapted from Crouch & Ritchie, 1999).

Source: Ritchie J.R.B., Crouch G.I., The Competitive destination: a sustainability perspective, Tourism Management,
vol. 21, n. 1, 2000, p. 3.

All thats stated confirms that, with reference to the tourist sector, there is a set of items, largely
recognised in literature, which is useful to define the competitiveness/attractiveness of the tourist
destination.

In particular, the European Countries belonging to the Mediterranean area and the areas of wise
tourism have to take charge of rethinking their models and strategies of development; furthermore,
they have to make innovations in their tourist product and service, establishing their own identity
and cultural diversity and appraising physical, human and economical local resources3 towards a
social, economic and environmental sustainability of tourism and towards environmental quality of
the territory.
Rural tourism meets the spirit of sustainable tourism but not that of mass tourism. Hence, the
accommodating supply is based on the aggregation of old manor country houses which seems to
promote the innovation of production systems and local tourist products, through the combination
of the conservation and valorisation of the architectural, historical, cultural and natural heritage and
the valorisation of the wine and food heritage of the rural destination, following sustainable
principles.
4. Results on the factors of attractiveness of the destination
The questionnaire has been administered to a sample of ten country houses out of a universe
made of over 100 country houses, most of which are agricultural and zoo technical firms and
agritourisms, situated in the rural tourist destination of Crispiano and Grottaglie.
The research aims at realising, from the point of view of the supply, such as of the owner of the
country house, a snapshot of the current state of the area and to identify the competitiveness
determinants of the rural tourist destination, following the same order of importance and presence
as perceived by the owners themselves. The country houses which constitute the sample of
observation are: Masseria Amastuola, Masseria Angiulli, Masseria del Duca, Masseria Fogliano,
Masseria Francesca, Masseria Lupoli, Masseria Pilano, Masseria Quis ut Deus, Masseria Rosario,
Tenuta del Barco di Emera (Table 1).
Specifically, the questionnaire collected information on the importance of the factors of
territorial attractiveness and perception of their actual presence in the target under investigation.
The questionnaire consists of 28 factors of attractiveness or items (Table 1) selected on the basis of
the information coming from literature and in particular from Crouch and Ritchie (1999) and
Enright and Newton (2004). The evaluation of the importance and presence of the factor was made
using a 5-point Likert scale.
Table 1: Perception importance and perception of attractiveness factors present in the sample

International policies aimed at the promotion of a more balanced development with respect to social, environmental
and economic components and recognized local authorities a key role in achieving the goal of sustainable development
through a comprehensive and cross-sector approach, with a common effort, involving all stakeholders in environmental
management. Refer to Caroli M.G., Il marketing territoriale. Strategie per la competitivit sostenibile del territorio,
Franco Angeli, Milano, 2006.

presence

TENUTA DEL
BARCO DI
EMERA

MASSERIA
ROSARIO

MASSERIA
QUIS UT DEUS

MASSERIA
PILANO

MASSERIA
LUPOLI

MASSERIA
FRANCESCA

MASSERIA
FOGLIANO

MASSERIA
DEL DUCA

MASSERIA
ANGIULLI

importance

Average
value

Landscape and natural beauty

5,00

5,00

Typical architecture: old country houses

5,00

4,60

Reputation and image of the place

5,00

4,60

Brand of the destination

4,80

4,10

Promotion agencies in incoming tourism

4,60

3,20

Quality of local human resources

4,70

4,20

Transport services to and from

4,00

3,30

Events (markets, festivals, etc.).

4,20

3,40

No pollution

5,00

4,00

Climate

5,00

5,00

Relax and tranquillity

4,80

4,80

Local lifestyle

4,50

4,40

Foreign tourists

4,70

3,30

Safety

4,90

4,60

Horse riding

3,90

3,50

Archaeological sites and other cultural attractions

4,00

3,70

Peasant civilisation museum

3,90

3,40

Network of educational country houses

4,10

3,70

Thematic itineraries: Saints, Bandits, etc.

4,50

4,00

Typical food and wine production

4,20

3,70

Typical agro-food products and handicrafts

4,80

4,30

Accessibility by private vehicles

4,90

4,10

Signage

4,30

3,80

Road infrastructure (cycling paths, ...)

4,60

3,40

Recreation and relaxation facilities

4,30

3,50

Technology infrastructure: wireless service,

4,20

3,00

Equipment and centres for sports and leisure

3,90

3,10

Support from other organizations

4,20

3,90

4,50

3,91

Average value

4,54

3,79

4,32

4,54

4,75

4,04

4,68

3,64

4,07

4,32

4,71

3,50

4,54

4,36

4,61

3,79

4,32

3,21

4,46

3,96

Factor

MASSERIA
AMASTUOLA

Country Houses

Source: our elaboration

Table 2 shows the results related to the perception that the owners of the country houses have
about the factors of attractiveness of the tourist destination. The interviewed subjects give an
absolute importance to the landscape and the natural beauty, with an average value of 5.00 out of a
maximum of 5. Moreover, there is a total correspondence between the importance bestowed to the
factor landscape and the relative perception of its presence at the destination.
In addition, the interviewed subjects also give importance to the typical architecture, to the
reputation and image of the place, no pollution and climate (average value of 5.00). Note well that
there is total coincidence between the importance conferred to the factor of climate and to the
perception of its presence in the destination. There is considerable correspondence between
importance (mean value of 5) and presence (mean value of 4.60) for what concerns the typical

architecture factor and the factor of reputation and image of the place. Concerning to the factors of
relax and tranquillity, there is total coincidence between the presence and importance, equal to the
average value of 4.80.
The interviewed subjects confer significant importance (from a maximum average value of 4.80
to an average minimum of 3.90) to the following order of factors: typical agro-food products, local
lifestyle, thematic itineraries, facilities for rest and relaxation, typical gastronomy, events, network
of educational country houses, archaeological sites and other cultural attractions, museum of
peasant civilisation, horse riding, and equipment for sports and leisure centres. These are the core
resources and attractors of the above-mentioned model, that is, those core resources which
constitute the basic reason which draws tourists in a specific destination.
The owners of the country houses confer particular importance (from a maximum average value
of 4.90 to an average minimum of 4.00) to the following order of factors: accessibility by private
vehicles, road infrastructure (cycling paths, road and rail network, highways, airports), signage,
technology infrastructure (wireless service, solar panels, electric car, biogas plants), transport
services. These are the supporting factors and resources of the theoretical model, that is, those
factors which enable country houses to carry out their business in a competitive way.
Table 2: Perception of importance and presence perception of attractiveness factors
Perceived importance factor
Landscape and natural beauty
Typical architecture: old country houses, trulli, dry stone walls
Reputation and image of the place
No pollution
Climate
Safety
Accessibility by private vehicles
Brand of destination
Relax and tranquillity
Typical agro-food products and handicrafts
Quality of local human resources
Foreign tourists

Average
5,00
5,00
5,00
5,00
5,00
4,90
4,90
4,80
4,80
4,80
4,70
4,70

Promotion agencies in incoming tourism

4,60

Road infrastructure (cycling paths, roads and railways, highways, airports)

Local lifestyle
Thematic itineraries: Saints, Bandits, archaeology and culture, ravines,
rural world
Signage
Facilities for recreation and relaxation
Events (markets, festivals, etc.).
Typical agricultural food production
Technology infrastructure: wireless service, solar panels, electric car,
biogas plants
Support from other organizations

4,60
4,50

Perceived presence factor

Landscape and natural beauty
Climate
Relax and tranquillity
Typical architecture: old country houses, trulli, dry stone walls
Reputation and image of the place
Safety
Local lifestyle
Typical agro-food products and handicrafts
Quality of local human resources
Brand of destination
Accessibility by private vehicles
No pollution
Thematic itineraries: Saints, Bandits, archaeology and culture,
ravines, rural world
Support from other organizations
Signage

Average
5,00
5,00
4,80
4,60
4,60
4,60
4,40
4,30
4,20
4,10
4,10
4,00

4,50

Archaeological sites and other cultural attractions

3,70

4,30
4,30
4,20
4,20

Network of educational country houses

Typical agricultural food production
Horse riding
Facilities for recreation and relaxation

3,70
3,70
3,50
3,50

4,20

Events (markets, festivals, etc.).

3,40

4,20
4,10

Transport services to and from

Archaeological sites and other cultural attractions
Horse riding
Museum of peasant civilisation

4,00
4,00
3,90
3,90

Museum of peasant civilisation

Road infrastructure (cycling paths, roads and railways, highways,
airports)
Transport services to and from
Foreign tourists
Promotion agencies in incoming tourism
Equipment and centres for sports and leisure

3,40

Network of educational country houses

4,00
3,90
3,80

3,40
3,30
3,30
3,20
3,10

Equipment and centres for sports and leisure

3,90

Average total value

4,50

Technology infrastructure: wireless service, solar panels, electric

car, biogas plants
Average total value

Source: our elaboration

Finally, the owners confer considerable importance (from a maximum average value of 4.90 to
an average minimum of 4.20) to the following order of factors: safety, brand of the destination,
quality of local human resources, foreign tourists, agencies promotion of incoming tourism, support
to other organizations. These are the activities of destination management and qualifying
determinants of competitiveness of the theoretical model, which affect resources and factors of
attractiveness and increase their value. What is worthy of attention is that almost all factors are
positioned well above the value of 4 Likert scale.
Considering the availability of the factors, it is clear that the interviewed subjects emphasize
their significant presence. Indeed, if the average value of the perceived importance of all the factors
of territorial attractiveness is equal to 4.50, the data concerning their presence does encounter an
overall average of 3.91, which thus tends to the value 4 of the scale. Moreover, there is a
correspondence between the importance conferred to the factor and the relative perception of its
availability at the destination according to several factors, as we have already pointed out.
The interviewed subjects bestow a significant presence (from an average maximum of 4.40 to a
minimum average value of 3.10) to the following order of factors: the local lifestyle, typical
agricultural food production, no pollution, thematic itineraries, typical wine and food products, a
network of educational country houses, archaeological sites and other cultural attractions, horse
riding, facilities for rest and relaxation, events, museum of peasant civilisation, equipment and
centres for sport and recreation.
The owners of the country houses confer a certain presence (from an average maximum of 4.10
to an average minimum of 3.00) to the following order of factors: accessibility by private vehicles,
signage, road infrastructure, transport services, technology infrastructure.
Finally, they confer a considerable presence (from an average maximum of 4.60 to a minimum
average value of 3.20) to the following order of factors: safety, quality of local human resources,
brand of destination, support from other organizations, foreign tourists, promotion agencies for
incoming tourism.
In summary, the comparison between the importance conferred to competitive factors and their
presence in the territory (Table 2) showed a considerable presence of these factors which are
considered to be more fundamental than attractiveness is (landscape and natural beauty, climate,
relax and quiet, typical architecture, reputation and image of the place, security, local lifestyle,
typical agricultural food production, quality of local human resources, brand of destination). Given

3,00
3,91

this, we can deduce that the strategic vision of the place is pretty well developed, as there is
availability of what is considered to be essential for competitiveness.
5. From the territory to the Destination: GAL
One of the main objectives of the territorial realities is to reach unitary identification, that is to
say the identification and contextualisation of all attractive, both tangible and intangible, within an
extended area which goes beyond the concept of Municipality or Region. The territorial
identification allows to redefine geographical and political boundaries in favour of a more
representative grouping which is aware of its own territorial identity, that is a territory composed of
economic actors, institutions and citizens who consider themselves united by traditions,
gastronomy, natural endowment or simply united by common goals of development or preservation.
The territorial identification and the concept of destination have many scientific implications of
observation, especially in relation to a tourist point of view. To date, the audience of tourists is
absorbing all the profound changes in the global economic system, radically re-formulating its own
demand. Among the changes which materialized within the sphere of the preferences the emotional
and experiential implication offered by the destination seems to have become a distinctive aspect to
the tourist. Therefore, it is essential to segment the supply by customising and specifying which
attractive is available within a particular destination. For this purpose, through the territorial
identification a concrete organization of available resources becomes possible, by the identification
of a management policy which allows to structure a modern and focused product supply.
All this also becomes possible thanks to the Destination Marketing, such as the discipline which
deals with the strategic link between destinations and markets, establishing relationships with
tourists, outgoing organisations (tour operators, transports, agencies) and new media (Martini, 2010,
p.220).
The activity of the Destination Marketing consists in publicising the image and awareness of the
destination in the target market, with the aim of facilitating the marketing and improve the appeal of
the supply. It is clear that this discipline cuts through various territories which are synergic and
complementary to each other, however, a real market strategy is still to be developed, since in the
set of markets which is being taken into account within the destination it is difficult to talk about
competitive positioning (Martini, 2010, p.222).
The combination of cognitive evolution of the territory, the new concept which is associated with
Destination Marketing, but mostly the study of new tourist developments, therefore the
modification of the demand in favour of the desire to know the place, to capture the essence of uses
and local customs, and to live a very personalized experience (sport, culture, gastronomy), ensures
the opportunity to refer to the destination as the organised and managerial translation of a rural

territorial identity endowed with peculiar characteristic attractions. By analysing the core-activities
of the Destination Marketing (information, reception and tourist entertainment) we can observe that
this discipline has as its main role that of structuring the territory in order to inform, accommodate
and to ensure the territory itself to be visited also as a way of promotion.
So far it has been possible to observe the most theoretical essence of the birth of the destination
and of its structuring. The European Union, through the article 62 of the EC Regulation
n.1698/2005, predicted the birth of Local Action Groups (GAL) that essentially consist of an
organization of operators belonging to different functional ranks who decide, after having been
provided with an organisational structure, to pursue a common goal through the use of structured
policies and actions in harmony with each other, building synergies between the public and the
private sector. This managing and planning tool facilitates local patterns of development allowing
the exploitation of the resources available in a specific area. Specifically, the GAL Ionian Hills
includes

eleven

Municipalities:

Carosino,

Crispiano,

Faggiano,

Grottaglie,

Monteiasi,

Montemesola, Monteparano, Pulsano, Roccaforzata, San Giorgio Jonico and Statte for an area of
415 Km, therefore a clear example of aggregation and territorial identification for eleven
Municipalities. The territory encompasses the Gulf of Taranto in the Northeast down to the sea of
the Municipality of Pulsano. The whole area has an endowment of natural attractions extremely
varied, which go from the surrounding Mediterranean Maquis Shrubland to the excellent and
internationally award-winning gastronomy, with wine, extra virgin olive oil and typical products.
The territory is also rich of attractions with regard to architecture, due to the presence of the socalled Trulli in the area, but also of country houses, ancient farms and sites of agricultural
production. GAL Ionian Hills activity includes the territory of the Hundred Country Houses, that
is the aggregation of some rural buildings dating back to 15th to 19th century, some of which are
also walled with protective rock and endowed with rocky churches. The whole area is witnessing
more than twenty-five hundred years of history, having been a crossroads of cultures over time
leading to a mix of nature, art, history, tradition and a well-known hospitality that make it
accessible in any season of the year; worthy of attention is also the local handicraft, Grottaglie
being an artisan centre for ceramic.
The GAL Ionian Hills is divided into two main themes, such as the creation of new productive
activities in non-agricultural sectors and the development of existing services, and the improvement
of the quality of life through the provision of local services (Local Development Plan, GAL Ionian
Hills).
On the other side, the objectives which characterize the GAL are: the diversification of
agricultural activities, the development of extra-agricultural micro enterprises, the promotion of

services for experiential rural tourism and the conservation and requalification of the rural heritage
of the destination-area through its preservation. The action strategy, instead, involves together
agricultural, tourist, craft and commercial sectors; it also tries to combine productive human and
natural resources of the territory to the needs of an environmentally sustainable development; lastly
it favours the rural-territorial identity with innovative projects.
The fundamental assumption which guides every action of this Group is to think and act green,
that is everything has to take into account the respect for the environment according to the concepts
of eco-sustainability that the Group itself promotes through the use of renewable energy, biomass
and electric cars. Among other tasks, there is that of managing available funds and make them
efficient through the strengthening of territorial visibility and the use of new information
technologies and media, being aware that ravines, woods, olive groves and crops become resources
to be safeguarded and enhanced through an active, but also respectful management.
Other important elements are: the partnership, the cross-action, the agglomeration and the
opportunity for citizens to actively cooperate in the development of the area; moreover the
complementarity of agriculture, tourism, handicraft and services which are together leading to the
development of a strip of agricultural territory around the city, through: allotment gardens, suburban parks, educational farms, pet therapy and also multifunctional agricultural parks, walking and
cycling paths and bridleways in order to connect the environmental resources to the historical and
cultural ones.
The Local Action Group has as its base value the identification of the individual in a territorial
context that he considers his own, thus leading all subjects belonging to it to do their best in the
safeguard of the environment and of its cultural heritage, and consequently to commit in its
organization, development and / or marketing promotion. In this field, the GAL is a tool that allows
to coordinate and promote the ideas of aggregation whether they are economic or cultural.
6. The project Green Road in the Ionian rural tourist destination
The Green Road project is a representative tourist product of a Territorial System, focused on the
principles of the Green Economy, of Sustainable and Wise Tourism, which covers the rural areas of
the Hundred Country Houses in the Ionic Arc in Puglia (Italy), characterized by the significant
presence of old houses, country houses, handicraft workshops, art places and natural resources.
Green Road represents a new tourist philosophy focused on the geographical factor and on the
aggregation both of the internal stakeholders, who represent the short network of endogenous
development, and the external operators, who represent the extensive network of stakeholders and
exogenous investments.

The rural area and seaside in the province of Taranto, on which the strategic project planning is
focused, is aimed at creating a tourist product that could trigger a systemic development which,
having as its reference area the whole Region of Puglia, potentially extends to the neighbour Region
of Basilicata.
Green Road will promote a new rural tourism linked to the traditional seaside one, to agricultural
production and gastronomy, to local handicraft, according to a perspective based on a new model
of green territorial productive reconversion, which could be exportable and replicable, where
possible, to international level.
The road, which is 17 km long, covers a 200-beds accommodation offer, which soon will be
joined by other 200 beds, thanks to the refurbishment of country houses and historic houses and
represents a strategic project of 11 Municipalities of the Ionic Arc - Taranto area (Puglia) that,
having as its starting point the territory of the Murgia dei Trulli, extends in a landscape
configuration of amphitheatre.
The Green Road develops between agritourisms, bed & breakfast and 4 - 5 stars country houses,
old houses, rocky settlements, caves and woods, Mediterranean Maquis Shrubland and lush green
countryside, along which the wines and foods of the area can be tasted, and where the peasant
civilisation and the legacy of Magna Graecia can be admired.
The main distinguishing features of the project are: territory (enhancement and integration of
rural areas, both seaside and urban characterised by artificial intelligence dynamics), aggregation
(creation of local coalitions to build an eco-sustainable territorial system), inclusion (development
of an inclusive model focused on community and solidarity economy), internationalization (starting
from the local to conquer the global), innovation (creation of social capital based on research,
professionalism and competence), sustainability (to restore the centrality of the quality of life: New
Green Life Style).
Through the recovery and reuse of the typical environmental heritage of Puglia from a Green
perspective, old houses and country houses, from being places of remembrance have become multipurpose companies (such as agricultural, zoo technical, rural and educational country houses); a
new tourist accommodation where it was possible to build a strategic guideline never had before,
from which to develop a form of rural tourism.
Adopting Green philosophy, it has made it possible to qualify the territory from a tourist point of
view, diversifying agricultural activities, creating new activities and improving the quality of life,
expanding the attractive of the area, and all this with the aim of encouraging an eco-sustainable
economy and a development of the artistic, cultural and gastronomic heritage of the territory.

The guideline on which the Green Road project is developed aims at acting on the existing as
well as on those structures which are already organized to participate actively in the tourist supply,
both through the restoration and enhancement of the architectural structures that can help to create
harmonious relationships in the rural world.
A tourist demand focused on the search for environmental richness, eco-sustainability, cultural
traditions in order to support local companies in the process of transition towards sustainable
development models, to motivate and support the rural tourism industry in adopting new production
paradigms in the name of quality and sustainable development.
Using the advantages of the aggregation, the Green Road is able to present the tourist supply of
the country houses both at a level of product (location, natural resources) and of services
(booking, brand), integrating the different activities of the production chain found in the reference
environment (hospitality, catering, wellness, local typical products), in the spirit of the destination
community model.
Last but not least, a resource of particular importance is represented by the brand equity,
determined by the ability of the destination management to enhance the local identity and to create
an image sought by the customer.
The creation of the visual identity reflects the guiding principles of the Green Road Project: the
sign chosen to synthesize the value of the Project has, in terms of meaning, the prolific stretch of
the biological element, in order to reduce the social imaginary to the current guidelines of policy in
the field of landscape, culture, environment, sustainability and technological innovation. A meaning
and aesthetics search which locates in the elementary botanic form of the leaf the values of
seduction, efficiency, authenticity, transparency, complexity and permeability of the Project, a
selection that gives back recognition and communicative immediacy both to the territory and to
Green Road through a simple iconographic mode, clear, readable and above all more flexible than
the different uses expected.
The brand image has been identified through a complex series of actions such as: the brand of
destination (Green Road), fidelity cards, smart box, web and mobile applications, editorial
publication, artistic and hand-made gadgets, thematic fashion brand, audio-video promo, cobranding operations. Green Road becomes an implementing tool for strategy that makes of change
its backbone, in particular, through the implementation of infrastructural, economic, cultural and
innovative environmental interventions, it aims at achieving a transformation of the territory,
together with an enhancement of his vocation and his identity.
Green Road will be developed according to this philosophy and it will become in the next few
years the destination of an increasingly articulated and attractive tourist supply system,

considering the fragmentation of companies and the small size of the facilities, which will thereby
get more support by being uploaded to the web but also by being connected to the other operators in
the area. Even small-sized structures will be given the opportunity to enjoy communication and
marketing tools which would otherwise be complex to acquire, as well as they will come in contact
with buyers who ground their demand on dimensional requirements too.
7. Conclusion
The rural tourist destination hundred country houses is an example of excellence by virtue of
the factors of attractiveness and natural landscapes. Analysis of the results included in Table 1, it
shows clearly how some attractors such as landscape and natural beauty, typical architecture, the
relax and tranquillity, the climate, reaches, on average, very high values.
The motivation for the achievement of these values lies mainly in the absolute and total respect,
protection and enhancement of the natural resources of the territory. In this context, the local
community is actively involved in making the above factors increasingly homogeneous
harmonizing and allowing that they can interact with each other.
In particular, Masseria Quis ut Deus stands out for the presence of factors of attraction
principles as landscape, architecture, reputation and image of the place, brand of destination, quality
of local human resources, events, climate, relax and tranquillity, local lifestyle, safety, thematic
itineraries, typical food and wine production, facilities for rest and relaxation, technological
infrastructure, equipment and centres for sports and leisure and support from other organizations.
We are dealing with a form of aggregation, arose spontaneously and ungoverned, but over time
is gaining greater awareness, confidence, strong aptitude for collaboration between local actors of
the destination, such as rural communities, country houses, public institutions; in thus it aims to
enhance the tourism system consists of attractors, material resources and intangible resources to the
competitiveness of the destination in order to offer multi-stakeholder systems.
The tools that give shape to the better enjoyment of the rural tourist destination are undoubtedly
the GAL - Local Action Groups, deeply rooted in the territory and reached the highest expression of
the union between public institutions and private entities, in a common perspective of sustainability.
The Green Road represents an innovative philosophy of sustainable tourism, combining material
factors, such as old country houses or trulli, dry stone walls, unimaginable in other destinations,
with intangible elements such as a green perspective, the total use of the territory, the variety and
complementary of offered services.

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