Olive oil tourism in southern Europe:proposal for tourism development of olive grove rural areas

For many European destinations the binomial 'typical product-tourism' is becoming a trigger tool for rural development. This work focuses on highlighting the tourist potential of the olive oil. This product boasts a strong cultural identity that can be exploited for tourism diversification of the olive grove rural areas. The objective of this work is to put forward a proposal for the development of these areas from an integral, sustainable and participative perspective. A tourism management model that can be applied to the olive groves areas of southern Europe is proposed. The foreseeable results would allow the improvement of local economy, agricultural sector and tourism, as well as other indirect benefits associated with the enhancement of the quality of life of the local community.