UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES OF GASTRONOMY: A GLIMPSE ON UNESCO CREATIVE GASTRONOMY CITIES OF TURKEY AND SPAIN

Abstract

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development, social inclusion and cultural vibrancy. Today, UCCN is comprised of 116 cities from 54 countries worldwide, where the cities distinguish themselves within their seven creative fields including Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music. This study aims to contribute the debate over the “world gastronomy cities” concept within the scope of The UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Study provides an overview on a fashion topic “gastronomy cities” on a basis of the destination and food branding strategies. Furthermore, UNESCO creative gastronomy cities of Turkey and Spain which compete in the international tourism market and have similar food culture deriving from Mediterranean cuisine have been investigated. As a result, Gaziantep (Turkey), Dénia and Burgos (Spain) were introduced in the scope of their gastronomic prosperousness and distinctiveness. Similarities and differences with regard to cities’ food culture were handled and proposals for were drawn to the reader’s attention.