Developing a Tourism Destination Through Gastronomy Branding

This study investigated in depth the growth of interest in branding a destination through gastronomy, and more specifically the interaction among culture, tourism, and food industry. Food appears as a part of the destination marketing mix, as it helps providing a full experience of one destination; it literally allows tourists taste the destination through the local food culture. Food appears as an essential element of every travel experience. It is the “what we eat, how we eat it, and why we eat it” scheme that contributes in travelers’ pleasure while visiting new places. In recent years, gastronomy has become one of the main sources of attraction in the tourist destinations. That is the reason why new and older fine dining restaurants, Michelin starred ones as well, have developed a certain approach towards tourists, especially in Northern and Western Europe. Restaurants provide fine dining experience, sometimes in more casual locations, as part of local culture and tourist attraction creating a destination positioning in market of tourism.