Сoncerning the International Korean-Russian Conference “Traditions and Present of Ethnic Minorities in the Arctic Zone of Russia” and modern festivals of the Kola Sami

The paper reveals the content of the report concerning modern and traditional festivals of the Kola Sami, which was presented at the International Korean-Russian conference. The Sami festivals are of special importance as a means of preservation of the cultural heritage of the Sami people and as a recognizable regional brand. There is a provisional classification and summary of some modern festivals of the Kola Sami

Co-Creating a Sustainable Regional Brand from Multiple Sub-Brands: The Andaman Tourism Cluster of Thailand

The purpose of this study was to explore how a regional brand can be co-created among different cities by employing the concept of place branding and brand culture. The Andaman Tourism Cluster of Thailand (ATC) generates the most tourism revenue in Thailand. Developing a regional brand identity can strengthen the competitive advantage of the ATC. Data were collected using multi-method research through questionnaires, projective techniques, and focus group interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. This study also shows that multi-method research contributes to brand management by facilitating collaboration, participation, and brand congruence among stakeholders. Quantitative and qualitative data were synthesized in order to develop the brand identity of the ATC. Focus group interviews were also employed to co-create the regional brand identity as ‘Irresistible Andaman’, of which sustainable tourism management is a fundamental aspect. This study demonstrates how multiple sub-brands with different stakeholders can be integrated into a single regional brand. Moreover, stakeholders should focus on internal branding by communicating with all stakeholders to co-create brand congruence.

Preferences towards the brand and origin of garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Garlic is one of the best known and most widely consumed vegetables in the international field. Regarding its production, Asian countries are identified as the main producers at a global level. Mexico have a significant production of garlic, occupying the fourth place for its productive volume in Latin America and in some regions such as the municipality of Arizpe, Sonora has a productive vocation, contributing to the region's economy and family support. Hence, for a significant number of small producers, it is essential to remain competitive in the garlic market. As a positioning strategy, the creation of a regional brand emerges as a feasible alternative. That is why, and in order to know the preferences that consumers manifest towards Arizpe garlic, an experiment of choice was carried out, a methodology widely used in agri-food marketing studies, the NGene software was used for the analysis of data and in the Limdep software, a conditional logit model was estimated. The results show that the manufacturer's brand and regional origin exert a positive influence on consumers. It is noted that consumers would be willing to pay a premium if the products have the regional or national brand attribute. This information suggests the possibility that exists for small producers in the study region to position themselves in the market with a regional garlic brand.

Alimentary Landscape of the Astrakhan Region: Stages and Specifics of Formation

Статья посвящена определению исторических этапов формирования алиментарного ландшафта Астраханской области, а также выявлению его специфики, во многом обусловленной влиянием различных этносов, проживающих на территории региона. В работе использованы заметки путешественников, результаты исследований российских и зарубежных историков, культурологов и естествоиспытателей. Алиментарный ландшафт исследуемого региона прошел длительный путь формирования и трансформаций – от традиционной культуры до новейших социокультурных практик – под влиянием объективных и субъективных факторов. К объективным относятся природно-климатические характеристики региона, к субъективным – его поликультурность и полиэтничность. Выделены два этапа трансформации алиментарного ландшафта – до и после Октябрьской революции 1917 года. Советский период трансформировал отношение жителей региона к еде, сделав его менее требовательным: важным стало количество, а не качество пищи. The article aims to identify the specifics of the formation and determine the stages of transformation of the Astrakhan alimentary landscape, which arose on the basis of a set of natural and cultural landscapes of the region. The materials of the research were travelers’ notes, the results of the studies of Russian and foreign historians, culturologists and naturalists. The research was carried out mainly in line with the historical and anthropological approach, which provided a holistic understanding of the natural and ethnocultural features of the region and made it possible to use a rich set of specific methods (comparative and systems analysis, problem-chronological and historical-genetic methods). The natural resources of the Astrakhan region of the pre-Soviet period were studied, the ethnic diversity that had developed in the region was characterized. Numerous economic activities of the population were analyzed as the basis of the Astrakhan alimentary landscape. Close attention was paid to the regional characteristics of the production and consumption of certain types of food products (fish and fish products, some flour products, tea). The transformation of the alimentary landscape of the studied region in the period after the establishment of Soviet power was analyzed. It was determined that the process of evolution of the Astrakhan alimentary landscape developed in two stages. In the first of them, it was mainly influenced by both objective (richness of natural resources, diversity of ecological zones) and subjective factors (polyculturalism and polyethnicity of the region, cultural exchange between different ethnic groups). The second stage of the transformation of the alimentary landscape began after the revolutionary events of 1917, its main content was the change in the attitude of the population to food (food preferences were simplified due to the influence of the socioeconomic upheavals of the first half of the 20th century) and the gradual unification of gastronomic practices throughout the country. It was revealed that the reorientation of the region to new types of agricultural products added new types of products to the population, but practically destroyed the already traditional ones, especially those that could act as a regional brand. It is emphasized that many regional practices, while slightly transforming, remained under the influence of national trends. At the end of the second stage, the preparation of products for a long time by drying, salting and pickling retained a significant role in the diet.

The Genetic Diversity and Structure of Tomato Landraces from the Campania Region (Southern Italy) Uncovers a Distinct Population Identity

Italy is one of the main producers and processors of tomato and it is considered a secondary center of diversity. In some areas, such as the Campania region (Southern Italy), a range of traditional tomato landraces is still cultivated. The distinction of this heritage germplasm is often based only on folk taxonomy and a more comprehensive definition and understanding of its genetic identity is needed. In this work, we compared a set of 15 local landraces (representative of traditional fruit types) to 15 widely used contemporary varieties, using 14 fluorescent Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers. Each of the accessions possessed a unique molecular profile and overall landraces had a genetic diversity comparable to that of the contemporary varieties. The genetic diversity, multivariate, and population structure analysis separated all the genotypes according to the pre-defined groups, indicating a very reduced admixture and the presence of a differentiated (regional) population of landraces. Our work provides solid evidence for implementing conservation actions and paves the way for the creation of a premium regional brand that goes beyond the individual landrace names of the Campania region known throughout the world.

Diverse and rich fortified cultural heritage of the Iberian Peninsula. Basis for culture tourism with the European Culture Route Fortified Monuments FORTE CULTURA®

Fortresses are architectural pearls, cultural sites, event locations, experience places and memorials, mostly situated at breath-taking places on mountains, rivers or in the under-ground. Fortresses are monuments of common European history, they mirror the past into the present, connect cultures and offer deep insights into the historical conflicts. Fortified monuments are part of what makes Europe unique and attractive. This cultural heritage has to be preserved and made accessible for the culture tourism at the same time. The Iberian fortified heritage has big potential for new culture touristic topics and travel routes away from mass tourism. Therefore, cultural routes are a useful instrument. The European Culture Route Fortified Monuments –FORTE CULTURA®– is the European umbrella brand for fortress tourism. It offers useful instruments for international marketing of fortified monuments. The implementation of the attractive architectura militaris of the Iberian Peninsula into the culture route FORTE CULTURA® makes it possible to network this culture asset touristically, make it visible and experienceable on international tourism markets and market it Europe-wide. By implementing a new touristic regional brand “FORTE CULTURA – Iberian Fortified Heritage” the qualified culture tourism will be addressed. This supports a balance between over and under presented monuments and extends the sphere of activity of local actors onto whole Europe.