Example Gastronomy Tourism Activities In Municipalities In Turkey

Abstract

Gastronomy, which is a multidisciplinary activity, is a significant industry ingredient that contributes to the local economy within the context of tourism activities. It holds an effective tool position in highlighting destinations and recognizing local flavors. The gastronomic identity of the local geography, which is kneaded with history, ethnic differences, culinary rules, common tastes and recipes, is crucial in determining the region as a destination. It has become inevitable to create a sustainable competitive advantage with gastronomic tourism. This study has tried to uncover the status of gastronomic activities, which are claimed to be an efficient factor in increasing the tourism incomes in the reports of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, at the level of municipalities and their contribution to urban tourism. In the study, primarily a literature review was conducted, and answers were sought to the research questions by using the semi-structured interview method. Based on the data, the gastronomic activities of 81 municipalities at different scales and their contribution to urban tourism have been analyzed. In the light of the findings, it was concluded that municipalities sustain local tastes with cooking courses, local flavors gained a worldwide reputation with the publication of cookbooks by some municipalities, geographical indication products are registered by many municipalities, the handicrafts, which are such as to complementary to gastronomy tourism, have become prevalent with vocational courses opened in municipalities and all these activities contribute to the local economy to a certain extent.