The project “Via Lemnia – Digital routes in the agri-food culture of Lemnos” aims to promote the primary sector of Lemnos, its products and cultural traditions, contributing to the enrichment of the island’s tourist identity.
The project goals are fully aligned with the latest trends in tourism, most notably sustainable and gastronomic tourism. Gastronomic tourism is growing worldwide; compared to conventional tourism, the average tourist expenditure exceeds the average consumption . By offering gastronomic experiences, visitors stay longer in the destination, and boost the supplementary income of producers and local agri-food businesses.
The Via Lemnia project is funded by the Directorate of Contemporary Culture of the Ministry of Culture; it builds on the experience and documentation gained during the creation of Lemnoscopio and the five years of fieldwork carried out by MedINA on Lemnos.
An innovative platform with the agri-food routes of Lemnos will be developed through the project, linking agricultural production with food processing and tourism, to further promote the cultural and environmental wealth of the island. This platform will be built in response to the modern needs of digital transformation that is currently driving developments in the tourism sector.
Platform users will be able to discover how the cultural, historical and natural values of Lemnos are reflected in the local culinary tradition, which is a combination of unique raw materials and traditional knowledge.
At the same time, the platform will provide information on the products, services and experiences available along the routes.
In addition to the agri-food routes which are its primary focus, the platform will be able to support the visualization of all the cultural elements of the island (mandras, mills, chapels, archaeological sites, museums), so that visitors can have a complete picture of the cultural wealth of Lemnos.
Each thematic route will form a comprehensive proposal, allowing visitors to virtually navigate the landscapes related to the specific route and to explore the culture of the area through the interactive map, numerous photographs and short texts. In addition, they will have the opportunity to learn about the local products and their traditional uses, as well as the places where they can be tasted and purchased.
The suggested routes are:
a. The stockbreeding route
b. The farming route
c. The vineyard route
d. The route of traditional products
Lemnos has all it takes to become a top gastronomic destination, significantly differentiating its tourist identity and investing in more efficient and sustainable forms of tourism. The agri-food routes will be a lever for extending the tourist season and for attracting visitors not only to the popular tourist attractions of the island, but also to lesser known sites of high cultural and agri-food interest.
¹ UNWTO (2019). Global Report on Food Tourism. AM Reports: Volume 4. Madrid, Spain.
² Agyeiwaah E., Felix E., Otoo, W. S. & Wei-Jue H. (2019). Understanding culinary tourist motivation, experience, satisfaction, and loyalty using a structural approach. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 36:3, 295-313. DOI:10.1080/10548408.2018.1541775.