Gastronomy Tourism as a Commodity of Destination Marketing: A research on İstanbul’s Gastronomy Tourism Potential

Abstract

Gastronomy tourism, besides being the most important means of economic development, it is also
the most significant part of the fastly developing cultural tourism market. Many recent researches
emphasized that the culinary culture of a target destination has a significant part in the travel
experience. The initial aim of this work is to research the effect of gastronomy on the marketing of
destinations. The research has been made in Istanbul on 93 type a travelling agencies. This research
focuses on a quantative feedback of the role of gastronomy in forming a positive feedback on the
forming of an expression and a label value in the marketing of Turkey and Istanbul. The findings
have been researched in relevance to the related literature. The result of the so-called research proves
that by means of marketing Istanbul, gastronomy has a strong image and brand value. Results also
indicate that it might be possible to market Istanbul through Ottoman Palace cuisine and Turkish
tourism and that people who take part in culinary tourism are mainly tourists between 35-55 or upper
ages who have a high level of income. Results also show that gastronomy tourism could be
integrated into other tourism types, which would boost local development.