The role of gastronomy in tourism development

Heritage has long been a mainstay of tourism development in Europe. It is estimated that cultural tourism, which is to a large extent centred on different forms of heritage, accounts for around 40% of all international tourism (Richards, 2007). Not surprisingly, therefore, many destinations have put heritage and cultural tourism at the centre of their development programmes. In recent years, however, there has been a growing recognition that not only tangible heritage, but also intangible heritage is crucial for successful tourism development. While tangible heritage may comprise many of the iconic sites that drive tourism growth, intangible heritage, such as popular culture, traditional and gastronomy, provide an essential support for tourism development, and can in themselves act as distinguishing features for the destination (Du Cros, 2013). This paper particularly analyses the role of gastronomy as an important factor in tourism development (Hjalager and Richards, 2002), tracing the journey of food from tourist staple to one of the key actors in the tourism development process.