Business events as a factor in rural economic development. An analysis for the black truffle sector

Abstract

This article analyzes the contribution of business tourism to the development of truffle tourism and truffle farming, using the Living Lab Trufforum Teruel 2024 as a case study. Using a qualitative approach and following Grounded Theory, the contributions of 30 international experts from the fields of production, tourism, gastronomy, and marketing were examined. The coding of seven documentary sources (round tables, final debate, and audiovisual material) allowed the codes to be grouped into five thematic areas: tourism, regional development, training/education, the meetings industry, and gastronomy. The results show that truffle tourism and truffle farming are interdependent areas that, when linked to product authenticity and sustainability, are consolidating their position as drivers of rural development. Training/education, both for professionals who form part of the sector's value chain and for end consumers, is emerging as a key cross-cutting element for the growth and consolidation of truffle tourism and truffle farming. Likewise, the meetings industry is proving to be a catalyst for international cooperation, knowledge transfer, and the creation of a truffle tourism narrative capable of promoting population retention, economic diversification, and the reduction of seasonality of truffle activity. This study shows how living laboratories are establishing themselves as an ideal space for co-creation and the articulation of joint strategies, contributing to strengthening the role of the black truffle as an economic, cultural, and tourist resource of global relevance for regional economic development in destination cities.