The Food Offer - Food Tourism: A Practical Marketing Guide - page 175

1. A local grower in the region.
2. A company that is adding value to food produced in the region. This
means that a local restaurant can become a member as well as a business
making for example local jams and chutneys.
3. A non-edible producer in the region.
4. A company that is adding value to edibles grown in the region.
Some food trails have associate members such as bed and breakfast and res-
taurant providers who need to be kept in the loop to build the success of the trail.
To become a member a company needs to show that it has public li-
ability and food safety standards as relevant to the region in which the trail
is operating.
Marketing
Members will need to pay a fee to employ a coordinator and to develop the
marketing strategy. Marketing should include the development of a webpage
and phone app, a brochure and signage that can be located on the trail and
at the farm. The coordinator will also need to liaise with travel companies,
tourist bureaus and tourist organizations to generate visitor traffic.
Member commitment
A food trail is only as good as its members and the weakest link in the mem-
bership. Consistency between a group of individual businesses is hard. As a
result there have to be member rules and they have to be adhered to. Growers
who fail to implement the rules should be asked to leave the group.
Members 'MUST' rules should include the following.
1. The farm must be maintained in a manner that it is safe for the public to
walk around the designated area.
2. The member will abide by the objectives of the group.
3. Customer service must be to an agreed minimum standard.
4. They will maintain their status of promoting genuine local produce.
5. The food trail sign must be displayed in a prominent location where vis-
itors can see it from the road.
6. Brochures promoting the group will be available at the farm and the team
members will promote other producers that are on the trail.
7. Members must be involved in any events that are organized to promote
the trail whether they be on- or off-farm.
8. Members will comply with surveys carried out by the group.
9. All members will comply with local legal regulations.
10. Pay the members fee every year when it is due.
The weakest link in consumers' eyes is often customer service. Everyone's
perspective of what is excellent customer service is different. The group