The Role of Local Food Culture in Sustainable Tourism Development

Abstrakt

The study focused on issues related to local food, tourism, and creating sustainable development. The paper is based first on existing studies in this field and second on new research conducted among tourists and their preferences in local cuisine. The purpose of the study was to illustrate the significance of local food in the development of sustainable tourism along with the relationship between the two, as well as to indicate whether tourists are interested in the food offering characteristic of their destination. Research has shown that tourists are interested in local and regional cuisine, while some take this one step further and seek out local and regional cuisine. Almost 60% of the studied tourists believe that a hotel restaurant offering should
include dishes and drinks associated with local and regional cuisine, but only 36% believe that a hotel restaurant’s décor should be related to its geographic region. A total of 70% of tourists are interested in cuisine characteristic of the place or region they are visiting, while 40% actively seek out local and regional items.