Sea Culture and Sustainable Development: Traditional Fishing Villages, Short Fish Supply Chain and Gastronomy in the Province of Reggio Calabria and the Archipelago of the Aeolian Islands (Italy)

To identify a strategic plan that raises the development of a territory through collaboration between all stakeholders, it is crucial to consider the competitiveness of tourist destinations as the sum of factors that allow a strategic and operational positioning against competitors. The new trend that take in account that the culinary tourism in recent years is a resource for the region and for the communities in it allocated, because it is represent a socio-economic winning situation for the development of many rural, also in those areas already known and appreciated by tourists. This involves the idea of a new food model and the application of the fundamental aspects of the destination marketing that takes into account the capacity of a territory with all its tourist/gastronomic characteristics and peculiarities to attract travellers to a given destination. A communication strategy by mean of tradition, history, cultural uniqueness, which creates value and identity in the same territory attract a more refined and sophisticated research, typically of the figure of "gastronauta who is often, culturally well prepared, independent; willing to learn and research of what is different from him, ready to immerse yourself in the history, culture, traditions, customs and habits of the place. The Community Food Networks are growing worldwide and defines those systems and organizational models that provide a direct relationship of sales/purchase between producers and consumers, resulting in clear benefits for consumers, for the producers and the community. In addition, stakeholders may realize reductions in transaction costs by the reduction of the number of intermediaries. Food companies may increase their market power by selling even small quantities of product. The community benefits from energy costs reduction due to transport and product packaging, the territory may benefits from the development of the production areas, last but not last, it enhances the protection of local varieties and traditional transformation processes of the territory. The main objective of this study is to explore the short fish supply chain in maritime areas in the province of Reggio Calabria and Lipari: one of Aeolian Islands in Italy, by getting insight the aspects related to production, consumption, and those related to the local system characterized by strong 247 tourist territories. In fact, in these territories, the typical fisheries production quality are integrated with the environment preservation and restoration, the use and recovery of the buildings of the traditional fishing villages. In a sustainable development perspective, furthermore, which aimed to enhance the human and social capital present, as well as the sustainable tourism, the related fishing tourism wich favored by uncontaminated environments and seas enviable. The study, first investigate the socio-economic aspects of fishing enterprises and their vocation to sustainable hospitality, and then examine the intervention strategies to enhance the value of the traditional fishing villages. Finally the consumer behavior of local fisheries products are explored to verify the strength and image of a niche product strongly related to the local and regional food traditions and presenting both interesting characters of innovation in line with the new food trends.