Abstract:

Purpose: To measure the efficacy of Safranbolu Turkish Coffee Museum as an element of attraction for the destination and to examine the contribution of the Safranbolu Turkish Coffee Museum, which was established to protect, promote and sustain the Turkish coffee culture that has sunk into oblivion, to the development of Safranbolu tourism. Method: The study was prepared with the interview technique, one of the qualitative data collection methods. A semi-structured form was used in the interview with the owner and founder of the museum. Findings: In Safranbolu Turkish Coffee Museum, the whole process from preparation to consumption of Turkish coffee, which is one of the important elements of Turkish culture, is explained and introduced to the guests. Turkish coffee culture is introduced in the museum, which welcomes many visitors from home and abroad throughout the year. The fact that Turkish coffee is the first beverage included in the list of intangible cultural heritage, the equipment used in the preparation of Turkish coffee from past to present in the museum, and the serving of Turkish coffee with saffron, which is considered an innovative approach to Turkish coffee, are the factors that make the museum attractive. For the promotion of the museum, digital platforms, national and international fairs, cooperation with other stakeholders in the city are made and the museum is included in touristic tour programs. Discussion: As seen in the example of Safranbolu Turkish Coffee Museum, gastronomy museums play an important role in preserving, promoting and transferring cultural elements to future generations. The biggest advantages of gastronomy museums are both to introduce and protect the elements specific to Turkish cuisine and to make destinations more attractive for tourists. For this reason, it is thought that it will be important to carry out the necessary studies for the establishment of new gastronomy museums in order to increase academic studies on gastronomy museums, to protect and promote local and traditional products.

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