Gastronomy fairs in the context of intercultural communication: The Diyarbakir example

Today, we can observe how important the concept of public relations is in interpersonal and inter-community interactions. Public relations activities cover a wide area of the age we live in, and these activities can affect the interaction styles and perspectives of society and people if used in both directions. There are many organizations in this context. Fairs, which are one of these organizations, are organizational features that bring people together, so they come across many examples in the world. One of the most striking things in these organizations is gastronomy fairs, and these fairs have the feature of an organization where local cuisine is introduced to the world or other cities in the national context, bringing cultures together and exchanging information. It is seen as an area with the scene of colorful sharing in intercultural interaction. In this study, gastronomy fairs as intercultural interaction and public relations activities will be examined. The direction of the reaction of people and society to intercultural interaction, how the communication methods of people from different cities create a perception on the local people, the contributions of different cultures to the local people, how different tastes contribute and affect people within the scope of food culture will be investigated. In this context, a research will be carried out on the role of gastronomy fairs in increasing intercultural communication, whether these fairs have a gain effect in the economic field and what are their local effects. In the study, using semi-structured interview technique, the opinions of the participants who come to the gastronomy fairs, the individuals and organizers who are in charge of this organization will be taken, and the effects of these fairs will be investigated in the context of local and national culture. Keywords Communication, Public Relations, Intercultural Communication, Gastronomy Fairs, Interaction