Abstract:

Abstract Gastronomy tourism is the preparation, presentation and consumption of foods in a different culinary culture; It is a type of tourism carried out in order to determine the cuisine, meal systems and eating styles. Gastronomy tourism is one of the elements included in a new cultural heritage and cultural tourism concept. Gastronomy tourism emerges as a phenomenon that continues to increase in importance among tourism types all over the world and in Turkey. The importance of local tastes has increased with gastronomic tourism. In this respect, the aim of this study is to determine the foods that can come to the fore in the development of gastronomic tourism in Elazig. Despite the rich culinary culture of Elazig, it is seen that it is not used enough for tourism purposes. For this purpose, a survey was conducted for the people living in Elazig. The data in the study were collected from 466 people. The use of exploratory research technique was made on the basis of frequency in the analysis of the data obtained, since the survey questions were open-ended. As a result of the analysis, foods that can stand out in the development of gastronomic tourism in Elazig have been determined. Harput meatballs, stuffed meatballs and glaze, one of the local dishes of Elazig, are in the first three places. In the study, it was also concluded that the local people did not have enough information about Elazig gastronomy, and they only made evaluations on known dishes. As a result of the study, the importance of gastronomy tourism was emphasized and suggestions were made for the development of gastronomy tourism in Elazig.

Keywords: