Le tradizioni enogastronomiche come motore del turismo delle radici. Itinerari e narrazioni nel progetto Italea

This paper explores how food and wine traditions contribute to the construction of roots tourism in Italy through the Italea project, aimed at Italian emigrants and their descendants. Focusing on the link between migration memory, ancestral places and territorial hospitality, the study analyses 124 itineraries, 113 food-related events and the Italea Magazine published between 2024 and 2025. It shows that gastronomy becomes a meaningful driver of roots tourism when local products, recipes, festivals, tastings and workshops are connected to family memory, return journeys, migrant heritage and communities of origin. However, the analysis also reveals that food tourism and roots tourism do not automatically overlap: gastronomic experiences become “roots” experiences only when embedded in narratives of ancestry, belonging and reconnection. The paper argues that enogastronomy can strengthen roots tourism and support marginal inland areas, provided that storytelling, local networks, hospitality services and territorial governance transform food heritage into an accessible experience of return