Gastronomy tourism as a tool for the development of regions

Authors

  • Darius Liutikas Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1344/THJ.2023.5.6

Keywords:

Gastronomy tourim, Lithuania, Latvia, Slow tourism, Rural Tourism

Abstract

This article presents the main activities of gastronomy tourism by illustrating them with examples from Latvia and Lithuania and discusses the significance of gastronomy tourism for the development of the countries’ regions. The examples of such activities as food and drink themed events and festivals, gastronomy routes and trails, farm visits and visits of the local restaurants, educations and tastings, museums and thematic exhibitions, excursions to factories and farms, and visiting of local markets are discussed. The benefits of gastronomy tourism, such as the generation of revenue, development of tourism infrastructure, preservation of cultural heritage, dissemination of regional knowledge, creation of positive image and identity, and promotion of community engagement, are identified as important factors for local and regional development.

References

Amber Journey. (2018). Palanga Smelt: about the festival, its initiators and the amber smelt. https://www.gintarokelione.lt/en/uncategorized/palanga-smelt-about-the-festival-its-initiators-and-the-amber-smelt/

Baltic Country Holidays. (2014). Go Rural Latvia. Manual of Rural Tourism in Latvia. https://www.celotajs.lv/cont/publ/GoRural2014/pdf/GoRural2014_en.pdf

Baltic Country Holidays. (n.d.). Rye Road - Travel around Latvia and explore the rye grain’s journey from field to fork! https://www.celotajs.lv/en/p/files/Rye_road?5

Benedikto Market. (2019). Home. https://benediktoturgus.lt/en/home/

Berg, P. O., & Sevón, G. (2014). Food-branding places – A sensory perspective. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 10(4), 289–304. https://doi.org/10.1057/pb.2014.29

Clancy, M. (Ed.) (2018). Slow Tourism, Food and Cities. Pace and the Search for the “Good Life“. Routledge.

Coff, C. E., Ravn, M., Laugesen, S. M. B., Hansen, M. W., & Christiansen, M. (2020). Rural Public Food Policies and Strategies: Case studies from Denmark, Sweden and Lithuania. (1 ed.) Professionshøjskolen Absalon. https://www.ucviden.dk/ws/files/118566580/SBFOODINNO_Rural_Public_Food_Policies_and_Strategies_.pdf

Corvo, P., & Matacena, R. (2018). Slow food and slow tourism, In M. Clancy (ed.), Slow Tourism, Food and Cities. Pace and the Search for the “Good Life“ (pp. 95-109). Routledge.

Csurgó, B., Hindley, C., & Smith, M. K. (2021). The role of gastronomic tourism in rural development, In K. S. Dixit (ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Gastronomic Tourism (pp. 62-69). Routledge.

Delfi. (2020). Lietuvoje jau galima pajausti vasarą: organizuoja neįprastai šiltas ekskursijas, kurios nieko nekainuoja. https://www.delfi.lt/keliones/po-lietuva/lietuvoje-jau-galima-pajausti-vasara-organizuoja-neiprastai-siltas-ekskursijas-kurios-nieko-nekainuoja.d?id=83536591

Dixit, K. S. (2021). Gastronomic Tourism: a theoretical construct, In K. S. Dixit (ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Gastronomic Tourism (pp. 13-23). Routledge.

Druskininkai. (2022). VIII-asis „Sūrių festivalis“ Druskininkuose. https://druskininkai.lt/naujienos/suriu-festivalis2022/

EIP-Agri. (2020). EIP-AGRI: 7 years of innovation in agriculture and forestry. https://ec.europa.eu/eip/agriculture/en/publications/eip-agri-7-years-innovation-agriculture-and forestry

Enter Gauja. (n.d.). Food lover’s guide. To the Riga-Gauja region. https://www.entergauja.com/userfiles/files/VidzemesRestorani_ENG.pdf

Everett, S. (2016). Food and Drink Tourism: Principles and Practice. Sage.

European Parliamentary Research Service (2016). Briefing September 2016. Short food supply chains and local food systems in the EU. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2016/586650/EPRS_BRI(2016)586650_EN.pdf

Fang, Wei-Ta (2020). Tourism in Emerging Economies: The Way We Green, Sustainable, and Healthy. Springer.

Flavours of Livonia (2020). Estonia-Latvia. Flavours of Livonia. https://estlat.eu/assets/upload/Results_Livonia/LivonijaTouroperators_en_compressed.pdf

Hall, C. M. and Gössling, S. (2016). From food tourism and regional development to food, tourism and regional development. Themes and issues in contemporary foodscapes, In M. C. Hall and S. Gössling (eds), Food Tourism and Regional Development: Networks, products and trajectories (pp. 3-36). Routledge.

Heitmann, S., Robinson, P., & Povey, G. (2011). Slow Food, Slow Cities and Slow Tourism, In: P. Robinson, S. Heitmann, and P. Dieke, (eds) Research Themes for Tourism (pp. 114-127). CABI.

Hillel, D., Belhassen, Y., & Shani, A. (2013). What makes a gastronomic destination attractive? Evidence from the Israeli Negev, Tourism Management 36, 200-209.

Hjalager, A-M. (2002). A typology of gastronomy tourism, In: A-M. Hjalager and G. Richards (eds) Tourism and Gastronomy (pp. 21-34). Routledge.

Howard, Ch. (2012). Speeding Up and Slowing Down: Pilgrimage and Slow Travel Through Time, In S. Fullagar, K. Markwell, and E. Wilson (eds) Slow Tourism. Experiences and Mobilities (pp. 11-24). Channel View Publications.

Jūsų Sodui (2022). Akcija. http://sodui.lt/AKCIJA-PASISKINK-SILAUOGIU-PATS-721.html

Klarin, A., Park, E., Xiao, Q., & Kim, S. (2023). Time to transform the way we travel?: A conceptual framework for slow tourism and travel research, Tourism Management Perspectives, Vol. 46, 101100, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2023.101100

Klimkeit, D., Tang, Ch. M., & Thirumaran, K. (2021). Introduction: Service Excellense in Asian Tourism and Hospitality, In K. Thirumaran, D. Klimkeit, and Ch. M. Tang (eds) Service Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality. Insights from Asia (pp. 1-10). Springer.

Kybynlar (2022). Cuisine. https://www.kybynlar.lt/en/tradition/item/43-cuisine

latvia.travel (2022a). Eat and drink. https://www.latvia.travel/en/eat-and-drink

latvia.travel (2022b). Aldaris beer museum and brewery. https://www.latvia.travel/en/sight/aldaris-beer-museum-and-brewery

Lithuania Travel (n.d.). Culinary traditions and experiences. https://www.lithuania.travel/en/category/culinary-traditions-and-experiences

Lithuanian Culinary Museum. (2018). Education program. https://culinarymuseumvilnius.lt/en/edukacine-programa/

Lochman, J. (2021). The Spatial distribution of Sustainable Gastronomy: A case study of tourism in Prague. Tourism Recreation Research, 48(5), 693-709. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2021.1949676

Long, L. M. (2004). Culinary tourism. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky.

Lowry, L. L., & Lee, M. (2016). CittaSlow, Slow Cities, Slow Food: Searching for a Model for the Development of Slow Tourism, Travel and Tourism Research Association: Advancing Tourism Research Globally 40, https://scholarworks.umass.edu/ttra/2011/Visual/40

Made in Vilnius (2019). Turgūs ir turgeliai, kuriuose įdomu apsipirkti. https://madeinvilnius.lt/pramogos/turgus-ir-turgeliai-kuriuose-idomu-apsipirkti/

Mykolaitytė, K. (2021). Patys prisiskinti uogų pirkėjai vyksta ir 200 km: kiek kainuoja ir kur važiuoti? https://www.15min.lt/verslas/naujiena/bendroves/patys-prisiskinti-uogu-pirkejai-vyksta-ir-200-km-kiek-kainuoja-ir-kur-vaziuoti-663-1542992

Oh, H., Assaf, G. A., & Baloglu, S. (2014). Motivations and Goals of Slow Tourism, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 55 (2): 205-219, https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287514546

Pire, T. (2023). The Unexpected 2023 Restaurant Trend We Didn’t See Coming, https://www.purewow.com/food/experiential-dining-trend

Richards, G. (2002). Gastronomy: an essential ingredient in tourism production and comsumption? In: A-M. Hjalager and G. Richards (eds) Tourism and Gastronomy (pp. 3-20). Routledge.

Richardson, L., & Fernqvist, F. (2022). Transforming the Food System through Sustainable Gastronomy - How Chefs Engage with Food Democracy. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/19320248.2022.2059428

Romnesa. (2022). The Tree Cake Museum. http://www.romnesa.lt/druskininkai/en/the-tree-cake-museum/

Rudys, A. (2023). Kviečia į gastronominę kelionę Siauruku. https://siaurukas.eu/kviecia-i-gastronomine-kelione-siauruku/

Senovinės Bitininkystės Muziejus. (2022). Projekto „Dūzgiantis bitininkystės muziejus“ medkopio pabaigos šventės „Ūlioja bitelė“ programa. http://www.biciumuziejus.lt/index.php/15-projekto-duzgiantis-bitininkystes-muziejus-medkopio-pabaigos-sventes-ulioja-bitele-programa

Sorcaru, I. A. (2019). Gastronomy Tourism - A Sustainable Alternative for Local Economic Development, Annals of “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Fascicle I. Economics and Applied Informatics, Years XXV – no1: 103-110.

Streimikiene, D., Svagzdiene, B., Jasinskas, E., & Simanavicius, A. (2021). Sustainable tourism development and competitiveness: The systematic literature review. Sustainable Development, 29, 259–271. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2133

Šokolado muziejus. (2012). Chocolate in "Rūta." http://www.sokoladomuziejus.lt/en/exposition/chocolate-in-ruta/

Taylor, S., DiPietro, R. B., & So, K. K. F. (2018). Increasing experiential value and relationship quality: An investigation of pop-up dining experiences. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 74, 45–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.02.013

UNWTO and Basque Culinary Center (2019). Guidelines for the Development of Gastronomy Tourism. https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/epdf/10.18111/9789284420957

UNWTO. (2020). Actions for a Sustainable Recovery of Tourism. https://www.unwto.org/actions-for-a-sustainable-recovery-of-tourism

UNWTO. (2022). UNWTO/Basque Culinary Center Forum Highlights Gastronomy Tourism as Driver of Rural Development. https://www.unwto.org/news/unwto-bcc-forum-highlights-gastronomy-tourism-as-driver-of-rural-development

World Food Travel Association. (n.d.). Glossary. https://worldfoodtravel.org/what-is-food-tourism/

Žagarės vyšnių festivalis. (2022). Šių metų Žagarės vyšnių festivalio misija – padėti Ukrainai. https://vysniufestivalis.lt/

Zaleckienė, J., and Turčinskaitė, L. (2019). Development of Educational Tourism in Lithuanian Rural Areas. Research for rural development 2019: annual 25th international scientific conference proceedings, 2, 169-174.

Zvirbule, A., Auzina, A., & Grinberga-Zalite, G. (2023). Gastronomic tourism and smart solutions used for its development: the case of a region of Latvia, Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 15 No. 5, pp. 570-580. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-06-2023-0076

Visentin, C. (2011). Food, Agri-Culture and Tourism, In K. L. Sidali, A. Spiller, and B. Schulze (eds) Food, Agri-Culture and Tourism (p. XIII-XV). Springer.

Žvejų namai. (n.d.). About us. https://zvejunamai.lt/en/about-us/

Downloads

Published

2024-02-21

How to Cite

Liutikas, D. (2024). Gastronomy tourism as a tool for the development of regions. Tourism and Heritage Journal, 5, 100–119. https://doi.org/10.1344/THJ.2023.5.6

Issue

Section

Articles