Gastronomy tourism potential of Van province

Today, gastronomy tourism, which has become an important part of prestige, status, building social relationships and tourist experiences, is in high demand. Gastronomy is one of the main motivation sources for tourists' destination preferences. It also has a very important position in terms of tourist attraction factor and destination marketing. For tourists, local products and dishes at the destination point offer them many opportunities such as experiencing the traditional and natural food and beverage environment, receiving service, watching the cooking process and learning about the culinary culture of the region. Van province, located in the Eastern Anatolia Region, is home to natural resources that play an important role in the realization of different types of tourism. Different types of tourism activities, especially nature and cultural tourism, have been attracting the attention of local and foreign tourists for many years. Van has been home to different civilizations for centuries due to its geographical location, and this has led to the formation of a different and rich culture in the region and various local dishes in Van cuisine. Within the scope of this thesis study, it is aimed to determine the gastronomy tourism potential of Van province. In this context, qualitative and quantitative research techniques were used for the purpose of the research. As a data collection tool, semi-structured (interview) interview technique was used with tourism stakeholder public, private sector and non-governmental organizations that have a say in shaping the tourism of Van province. According to the data obtained as a result of the interviews with the participants, different values of Van province that can come to the fore for gastronomy tourism have been identified. It has been determined that the gastronomic tourism potential of Van province is quite rich. One of the main reasons for this is that it is located on the Silk Road route, one of the most important trade routes of the period. The province of Van, located on the route of this trade route, bears the traces of the past and it is observed that the transfer of culture has been ensured until today. It has been observed that the trade carried out so far has always kept the region afloat as a vibrant Sunday. It is known that in the trade carried out in the old period, caravans needed places where they could stay and satisfy their nutritional needs. Thanks to this, the food and culinary culture in the region have shown continuous development. However, a Van cuisine has emerged that still contains traces of different cultures to this day. Keywords: Tourism, Gastronomy, Gastronomy Tourism, Local Food, Van Cuisine.