Giuseppe Calignano
An assessment of agritourism in Salento (Apulia) in the era of the internet
Abstract: Apulia is the region with the highest overall growth rate of agritourism units in Italy in the period 2008-2012. This article aims at analysing and assessing the prospective demand, dynamics, evolution and number of these specifi c rural facilities in Salento – a sub-region of Apulia formed by the provinces of Lecce, Brindisi and Taranto – in the so called “era of the internet”. By using quantitative and qualitative techniques it has been able to determine that Lecce is the leading province in Salento and in Apulia in terms of number and diffusion of agritourism facilities. Furthermore, the findings of this study suggest that the possibilities offered by the internet and the new media are not suffi ciently used by agritourism operators in Salento and in other areas – like in Tuscany and Trentino-Alto Adige, where agritourism activities boast a long tradition – to promote their services and products they offer.
Keywords: Agritourism, Salento, Internet.
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