Master's thesis tourism and Local Food and Beverages

2.3.7.3 Culinary tourism 
According to Mykletun & Gyimo´thy (2009), today, the traditional food may be presented in 
four categories: 
a) Regional or local of origin; 
b) Authentic 
c) Having been commercially available for the public for at least 50 years, and 
d) Containing a "culinary heritage” 
Mykletun & Gyimo´thy (2009) in their research maintain that as a result of the growing 
interest in culinary products and traditions, food is gaining in importance, for it functions as a 
motivating factor in attracting tourists to a particular area. Long ( 2004) as cited in Horng & 
Tsai( 2010) the phrase „culinary tourism
‟
was coined in 1988 to refer to international tourists 
who aim at traveling to different parts of the world in the hope of experiencing different and 
exotic culinary specialties and traditional foods. Cuisine is an indispensable part of the 
cultural heritage of all communities and thus „culinary tourism
‟
is considered as one form of 
cultural tourism. This statement is arguably correct despite the fact that only certain cuisines 
succeed in attracting tou
rist‟s
attention. After all, the whole „food culture
‟
of a community 
may appear in narratives, rituals, festivals, or other aspects of cultural expression. In addition 
to the points mentioned, one should also pay attention to the fact that in „culinary tou
rism‟, 
the whole food culture of the community or culture is involved and not the food alone. So, 
culinary tourism means the consumption of food along with the unique experience of an 
area
‟s
„culinary culture
‟,
and „local knowledge (Ignatov& Smith as cited in Horng & Tsai, 
2010). 
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Chapter 2. Literature Review 
Food Tourism 
Low interest/N0