Local gastronomic business - premise for the development of Romanian gastronomic tourism

Abstract

Currently, most tourist destinations in the world are establishing strategies to develop the culinary identity of their territories and to promote local cuisine, based on the fact that gastronomy can have a great influence on the decisions of tourists in choosing tourist destinations. Therefore, the gastronomic specificity of a destination can attract tourists interested in authenticity, specificity and new experiences from a gastronomic point of view. The gastronomic businesses are some of the most successful businesses, and this is due to a constant demand, which is based on ensuring the need for food. In Romania, the concept of local gastronomic point was recently introduced. The purpose of the local gastronomic points is the integration of gastronomy and tourism in order to support the local economy. The local gastronomic points can be seen as an invitation to discover the local products, prepared in the Romanian rural kitchens. The local gastronomic points meet the gourmets, the people interested in gastronomic experiences, eager to know and enjoy the specific dishes of the local cuisine, the traditions and customs of the locals, the culture of food preparation. The gastronomic heritage on the Romanian territory is rich and varied, and represents an element of the Romanian cultural identity. Gastronomy, as part of the national cultural profile can be an engine in the development of the local economy, through local gastronomic points, and involves the practice of gastronomic tourism. In this article, the authors aim to present the current situation of local gastronomic points in Romania and their importance in the development of gastronomic tourism.