The effect of local flavors on the destination selection process and investigation in terms of gastronomy tourism: The case of Edremit Gulf

The aim of the study is to measure the knowledge level of tourists visiting Edremit Bay about local foods, to determine the effect of gastronomy tourism on tourists' destination preferences and to carry out a study that will contribute to the marketing of the region within the scope of gastronomy tourism. The study consists of four parts. In the first part of the study, a literature review on the subject of the study was conducted. In the second part, information about the methods used in the study is given. A questionnaire study was applied to 400 people who visited Edremit Bay. In the third part, the findings and comments obtained from the survey study are included. In the last section, the results and recommendations obtained from the study are presented. It has been observed that most of the tourists visiting Edremit Bay prefer the region for sea-sand-sun tourism. When the participants were asked about the factors affecting the choice of destination, it was seen that climate and weather conditions, natural and geographical richness, and previous visit experience options were effective respectively. According to the results, local tastes are in the sixth place. When the participants were asked to evaluate the food they ate during their vacation, it was observed that they generally evaluated it positively.