ABSTRACT
The effects of COVID-19 on tourism include a rapid growth of some consumption behavior trends, such as an urge for escapism, a desire to (re)discover minor and rural destinations, and a wish to live memorable moments. Moreover, literature and industry reports highlight the importance of contemporary demand for authenticity and experientiality. This work analyzes visitors' perceptions once in the destination, focusing in particular on small villages' gastronomic tourist offer. An exploratory study was conducted on tourists visiting Italian small villages of historical origin, the borghi, and nearby wine producers to record their perceptions and sense any significant difference. In-depth interviews were combined with participating observation to test elements from the literature on consumption behavior and identify a set of parameters, which could be applied in further studies. The results show that the borghi offer is perceived as authentic and not replicable, that wine- and foodrelated activities, often more direct and totalizing, helped the visitors to connect with the destination;thus, gastronomic tourism can represent a valuable asset in the sustainable development of the minor communities. Nevertheless, destination competitiveness is the result of an interplay of multiple factors and on top of the experiences offered (prerequisite of the tourist activity) additional aspects have to be considered in order to properly enhance small villages' tourist offer.