ABSTRACT
Mycotourism is an innovative tourist product linked to rural tourism and offered as an alternative to the use of a forest resource. Here we aim to identify which tourism products have a connection to mycotourism and which mycological activities most attract people to the product. Results identify wine tourism, religious tourism, and spa tourism as the tourism products most closely connected to mycotourism. Visiting truffle festivals, mycological parks and hiring a mycological guide are the most frequent activities. Practical applications of the study include marketing that can be used by public policymakers and private companies alike to promote the area.
Acknowledgements
The Regional Government of Castilla y Leon – Regional Ministry of Culture and Tourism Fundación Cesefor
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Joaquin Latorre
Joaquin Latorre is Graduated in Tourism studies. He is researcher in marketing and innovation at the European Mycological Institute (EMI). He has research interests in mycotourism, mycological resources, non-wood forest products (NWFP) and rural development.
Tiziana de-Magistris
Tiziana de-Magistris, Senior researcher, Agro-Food Economic Unit, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA) Zaragoza, Spain. Her research interests include consumer behaviour, agricultural demand and econometrics and statistical analysis in agricultural economics.
Pablo de Frutos
Pablo de Frutos is Senior Lector in the department of applied economy, University of Valladolid (Soriás Dukes campus), Spain. He has research interests in natural resource valuation and socio-economic aspects of wild edible mushrooms picking.
Blanca García
Blanca Garcia is Senior Lector in the department of business organization, marketing and market research, University of Valladolid (Soriás Dukes Campus), Spain. She has research interests in tourism marketing.
Fernando Martinez-Peña
Fernando Martinez-Peña, Senior researcher on characterization and valorization on forest resources at Agri-Food Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA) and Director of the European Mycological Institute. His research interests are forest mycology, fungal ecology, mycosilviculture, management and valorization of mycological resources.