Local stakeholder opinions on Balıkesir's possibility as a "Gastronomy tourism city" within the scope of UNESCO Creative Cities Network

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO in short, was established in 1946 to operate in the fields of education, science, culture, communication and information in order to strengthen peace in the world, eliminate poverty and support sustainable development. In 2004, UNESCO launched the UNESCO Creative Cities Network to strengthen cultural diversity, Decouple cooperation between cities and countries, and support sustainable development in economic, cultural, social and environmental dimensions. The Creative Cities Network is formed around seven main themes such as design, literature, craft and folk arts, music, gastronomy, media arts and cinema and film. Finally, the architectural theme has been added to this network. A total of two hundred and forty-six cities are included in this network, while six cities from Turkey are represented. Being included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network offers significant advantages for cities in economic, cultural, social, environmental and political dimensions. Being a part of this network makes important contributions to the promotion, branding and best evaluation of the tourism potential of the city. It also provides valuable opportunities to cooperate with other cities in the network and benefit from their experiences. The aim of the Gastronomy theme of the Creative Cities Network is to protect the natural structure of this culture by evaluating the culinary culture, which has its roots in the past and is unique to a region, among the intangible cultural Deciencies. In this way, it is aimed to transfer the said heritage to future generations by introducing it at national and international level. Thus, it is aimed to preserve the natural properties of food and beverages prepared by traditional methods. Thanks to its geographical location and fertile lands suitable for agriculture, Balıkesir has had a structure where different ethnic groups live together as a result of the fact that different civilizations have lived throughout history Decently. The thousands of years of cultural accumulation resulting from this common life have played an important role in the development of a rich and diverse culinary culture of the region. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential of Balıkesir to become a gastronomic tourism city within the framework of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. For this purpose, it is aimed to determine the awareness levels of local stakeholders towards the issue and to analyze their views in this context. Structured interview technique was used as a data collection tool in the research. The data obtained in the interview were analyzed by qualitative analysis method. As a result of the findings obtained, they emphasized that Balıkesir is ready for the gastronomic tourism of the city of local stakeholders regarding the possibility of becoming a Gastronomic tourism city within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, but this can happen if adequate promotions are made. In order to participate in the Creative Cities Network as a gastronomic tourism city, it is of great importance to strengthen coordination, ensure professional teamwork, implement effective promotion methods and disseminate traditional food Sundays. It is estimated that by taking these steps, the city's potential in the field of gastronomy will be recognized wor.