The role of gastronomy museums in sustainable gastronomy tourism: The case of Turkey

Main motivation of tourists who visit a destination by participating in the gastronomy tourism movement is to better know the cuisine of the region where they travel. Gastronomy museums ensure that the food and beverage habits of the region are preserved, and cultural values are sustained. Gastronomic museums are one of the most important tools for transferring gastronomic elements to the next generations and ensuring a sustainable gastronomic tourism. The aim of the study is to investigate the role of gastronomy museums in Turkey in sustainable gastronomy tourism, considering the contributions of gastronomy museums in gastronomy tourism activities. The qualitative method was preferred in the research and data was taken from interviews. The first part of the study focuses on the concepts of gastronomy tourism and sustainable gastronomy. The following part covers gastronomy museums. The field research findings are presented in the final section. Gastronomy museums are generally visited by students and middle-aged women for reasons such as learning, discovering and research. It has been concluded that the tasting and sale of local products throughout gastronomy museums increase the chance of customer retention. Moreover, gastronomy museums create new markets by diversifying the local economy and play an active role in sustainable gastronomy tourism. It has been suggested that gastronomy museums should be such an environment where visitors spend a pleasant time by meeting their expectations. Moreover, product range should be boosted, thus increasing experimental reminiscences of products which are tasted and sold, and gastronomy museums with appropriate marketing strategies have a sustained competitive advantage.