Turizmde Çekicilik Unsuru Olarak Gastronomi Müzeleri: Adatepe Zeytinyağı Müzesi Örneği (Gastronomy Museums as Attractive Elements in Tourism: The Case of Adatepe Olive Oil Museum)

Abstract

As a manifestation of the interest in different cultures in terms of cuisine, gastronomy museums have become an attractive element in tourism. It managed to attract the attention of people especially towards the end of 20th century, and gained a great momentum. Among organizations that do not have non-profit, gastronomy museums not only contribute to understanding the past in cultural terms, but also bring value to destinations and countries by increasing attraction in tourism. In this context, the study aims to analyse the use of Adatepe Olive Oil Museum, the first olive oil museum in Turkey, as an element of attraction in tourism, and its contribution to the tourism activities of the region. Three people, who are co-founders of the museum, were interviewed both face-to-face and through digital teleconference. Qualitative data collections methods, interview and observation, were used in the study. According to the results of the research, it was determined that touristic activities were not at a high level in the province of Küçükkuyu before the museum was opened. It was observed that individual touristic visits increased after Adatepe Olive Oil museum was established and educational and gourmet tours started. Therefore, it can be suggested that gastronomy museums have a positive contribution to the tourism potential of the destination or region.