The Role of Gastronomic Heritage in Tourism: The Case of Zadar County

Abstract

The aim of this article is to investigate the degree of inclusion of gastronomic heritage in the tourism supply of Zadar County. The article is a case study based on the assumption that traditional dishes in menus can contribute to the qualitative improvement of the tourism supply and presents the results of the analysis of menus and the conducted qualitative research done on a case of Zadar County, Croatia. Findings show that despite all the efforts made by destination management in the collection, processing, interpretation, and affirmation of gastronomic heritage as part of Zadar County tourism product, it is still not sufficiently valorized. In theoretical terms, the article has contributed to the development of a scientific approach to tourism valorization of gastronomy, especially on the specific case of Zadar County. In the applicative sense, the article proposes to use the potential of gastronomic heritage in a way that traditional recipes are adapted to the requirements of guests in relation to the experience of food.