Exporting a product is not enough: it also means telling the story of the place, culture and way of life behind it. This is the vision guiding GAL Approdo di Ulisse, a local action group, in its approach to international markets. Through its Nuove rotte per i nuovi mercati (“New Routes to New Markets”) project, the group works alongside the Campania Regional Government to connect local food production, dining and tourism, using the appeal of internationally recognized destinations to support local businesses. We spoke with Gennaro Fiume, director of GAL Approdo di Ulisse.
GAL Approdo di Ulisse represents an area that already enjoys considerable international recognition. What is your strategy for strengthening its position further?
GAL Approdo di Ulisse operates across provincial boundaries, covering the Sorrento Peninsula, the Amalfi Coast and the island of Capri: places with a longstanding international appeal, widely associated with hospitality, quality of life and good food. Together with the Campania Regional Government, we are working on the New Routes to New Markets project to promote the products that best express this identity: PDO- and PGI-certified products, as well as branded specialties, from wine and olive oil to fior di latte mozzarella and other high-quality livestock products. We want to raise awareness of their quality while also inviting international consumers to discover them where they are made, because experiencing the area firsthand adds to their value.
Campania’s cuisine already enjoys a global reputation. How do you turn that reputation into tangible economic opportunities?
The challenge is to turn our wealth of outstanding products into opportunities for real development. That is why we take an integrated approach: rather than promoting individual products in isolation, we connect them with restaurants, the landscape, culture and tourism. An international trade fair allows people to discover and taste our specialties, but the message needs to go further. We want to encourage people to visit the Amalfi Coast, the Sorrento Peninsula and Capri, explore their cultural and culinary heritage, and experience our way of life firsthand. The Mediterranean diet, along with local food and wine, is thus becoming an increasingly important part of what the area offers visitors, creating tangible value for local businesses.
