In the same way that society has changed over time, so has the tourism sector, which has transitioned from mass-scale sun-and-beach tourism to more specific activities such as gastronomic tourism, a trend that places the local product at the center of the experience as part of the cultural heritage.<\/p>\n
The initiative to patrimonialize or give heritage status to a cultural asset<\/strong> (material or immaterial) emerges from an idea, a concern for the safeguarding, a conviction or enthusiasm about the importance of said asset, as well as the desire to share it with society. This initiative can be start with any local actor (companies, citizens, associations, etc.), although the patrimonialization process, in general, public administrations usually channel these initiatives.<\/p>\n This process consists of three main phases: the first one consists of identifying<\/strong> the resource\/s and acknowledging its values and use concrete tools such as inventory and evaluation of the resource, while taking public policies and heritage conservation strategies into account. The second step in this process is to imbue it with authenticity<\/strong> and identity. Then, as part of the this value enhancement phase<\/strong>, there is a rigorous procedure that involves documenting the resource and communicating the patrimonialization initiative.<\/p>\n Finally, we get to the galvanization phase<\/strong> that starts with the appropriate strategic segmentation of potential target audiences. This phase requires the creation of a unique narrative interpretation of the entire destination that surrounds the cultural asset. In addition, this patrimonialization process can be connected with economic development through the creation of specific tourism products<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In this regard, the research led by Lola Teruel<\/a><\/strong>, professor and expert in Tourism at Campus Gandia of the Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Val\u00e8ncia (UPV)<\/a>, is leading studies to identify and analyze the Listada de Gandia Eggplant (Solanum melongena L) as a gastronomic and cultural resource specific to the territory.<\/p>\n