Gastronomic Tourism as a Way of Forming Impressions

Abstract

Since the second half of the 2000s, gastronomic tourism has been the most dynamically growing segment of tourism around the world: up to 1/3 of the tourist’s expenses in the destination are expenses for food and beverage. The importance of gastronomy in the context of the experience economy has grown many times: gastronomy has ceased to be only a function of ensuring the tourist’s stay in the destination, along with accommodation and transport – it becomes the core of the tourist experience, a means of penetrating the history and culture of the destination, receiving the brightest and deepest emotions. Against the background of increasing globalization and ever-greater “seen” by the average tourist, there is a burning out of interest in traditional tourist activities; for example, sightseeing is no longer enough, and tourists require full immersion in the culture of the host country/region, and even more – they want to live a small life like a local, and gastronomic experiences that extend beyond the simple consumption of food are able to meet this exacting demand. The increasing tourist flows and the volume growth of public catering indicate the demand for the gastronomic component of tourism, which, in turn, can be one of the main ways to form impressions.