Small food producers in rural areas have experienced serious external disturbances because of the pandemic, rising energy prices and production costs etc. It has a strong impact on the resilience of the local food sector in rural areas. One of the solutions for small local food producers is the diversification of their business activity into the sustainable culinary tourism sector. Through integration of conventional small-scale food production with culinary tourism services it is possible to reach the end-customers directly and to get the highest value from selling the products using the shortest value chain. Local food producers need an innovative practical solution for culinary tourism service design meeting the specific needs and expectations of visitors in the post-pandemic era. The mixture of services can include farm tours, cooking workshops, degustations, pop-up cafes, seasonal farm restaurants, food boxes etc. The capacity of small producers to get enough visibility and attention in tourism market is usually very limited. Thus, they also need a solution for efficient marketing of joint tourism products in the format of regional gastro tours, culinary routes, regional food packages stimulating cross-selling etc Across Europe the rural areas in BSR region are currently not very well known as a culinary tourism destination. Active involvement of food producers in culinary tourism is an excellent opportunity for making the region more visible and attractive for visitors.

During the first part of the BASCIL project, a series of train-the-trainer workshops were conducted where all project partners were introduced to practical business models and tools specifically tailored for food tourism. This enabled them to support local food producers in their own regions.

Several project partner meetings with experience exchanges, status reports, and discussions have been organised. These valuable meetings also included the opportunity to learn about other countries’ and regions’ unique offerings and local culinary tourism services that can inspire new offerings in the home market.

An important project deliverable is the Bascil Manual – Practical Solutions for Designing Culinary Tourism Services. Using a variety of tools and strategies based on the Business Model Canvas, along with practical examples, the manual guides food producers step by step on how to develop ideas and content for an attractive tourism offering.

Fifteen project partners in twelve different regions support and work with approximately 100 different companies that have developed new attractive tourism offerings. Halfway through the project, an exciting phase begins where the companies are ready for pilot testing of the new concepts and offerings developed. This will take place during the summer season of 2024, after which all results will be evaluated.