Turizm Master Planlarında Örtük Gastrodiplomasi: Türkiye’de Gastronominin Bir Diplomasi Aracı Olarak İnşası (Implicit Gastrodiplomacy in Tourism Master Plans: Constructing Gastronomy as a Tool of Diplomacy in Türkiye)

Abstract

This paper explores the positioning of gastronomy and its communicative roles in tourism master plans that were developed in Turkey, using the lenses of communication and diplomacy. In terms of the gastrodiplomacy literature, the culinary culture has been widely discussed regarding international campaigns, chefs as diplomats, and cultural events. However, here, the flow of gastronomy is considered from a less overt perspective and from the perspective of policy documents. The tourism master plans are taken into account as communicative tools for delivering the country's identity, cultural values, and destination images to other countries. This research is based on a qualitative document analysis approach. Both national, regional, and provincial tourism master plans are reviewed to identify the representations of gastronomy in these documents. Results show that the gastronomy is represented in plan texts along with cultural representation, national branding, geographical indications, experience-oriented interaction, and sustainability. Through these representations, an implicit language of gastrodiplomacy communication can be identified as one that delivers the country's national identity through the soft and appealing narrative of gastronomy.