Visitors’ Perceptions towards Traditional and Regional Products in Trabzon (Turkey) and Podhale (Poland)

Abstract

Gastronomy tourism is defined as a type of tourism that deals with the relationship between food and beverages and culture in the context of the local culinary culture. Local dishes, recipes, and culinary culture, which express the lifestyle of cities, are an important part of tourists' choice of destinations. According to many studies undertaken in recent years, tourists have seen an increase in the number of trips conducted to taste a cultural dish and to learn cooking techniques and cooking skills. In this study, the Trabzon (Turkey) and Podhale (Poland) regions were selected as a study area. These regions are characterised by unique, very interesting culture and art and, especially, folklore. The cuisines from Podhale and from the Trabzon region are equally attractive. The study was conducted on 151 people in Trabzon and 102 respondents in the Podhale region. The study revealed that only 15 out of 253 respondents had not heard about regional and traditional products. The authors analyzed whether people from different age groups had specific habits concerning the place of purchasing regional products in the analysed regions of Poland and Turkey. Regarding the question of whether the motivation to buy regional products was the same in households with a larger and smaller number of residents, it was found that only one correlation proved to be statistically significant: the correlation between household size and buying regional products because of their price.

Culinary trails in popularizing ethnic cuisines

“…Consequently, it can be viewed as a cultural process that respects historical values and the environment. The preservation of culinary heritage is undoubtedly dependent on the attention of the consumer [13,21,30,32], so a properly constructed gastronomic offer can be an important stimulus in the development of tourism in the region, thus impacting the economic situation of local producers. 85% of active tourists, according to studies by Gonera study [30], declared interest in regional cuisine.…”

“…Ethnic foods occupy a special value position for consumers [37]. It is also important to note the diversity of ethnic cuisines and the distinctive features specific to them [13,38,39]. One problem in the perception of new foods, by the consumer, may be food neophobia, which is particularly important for the choice of new foods [35,40,41].…”

“…Due to its rich culinary heritage, Podkarpackie Voivodeship is the leader in the number of registered traditional products listed on the national register. The list of registered products is dominated by meat products, bakery products, and ready-made meals [13][14][15][16].…”

How Clusters Create Shared Value in Rural Areas: An Examination of Six Case Studies

“…For this reason, this territory is particularly suitable for the development of sustainable tourism (understood as achieving economic benefits for the local community but with respect for wildlife and the protection of natural resources and human heritage [34][35][36]), and carp and dishes made of it are the flagship products of the region and hold an important place among the products promoted by the "Dolina BaryczyPoleca" system. Currently, there is a growing group of consumers interested in combining tourism with the purchase of local dishes and regional products with unique features [37,38], so from the point of view of creating shared value, it should be noted that actions of PDDB linked with the "Barycz Valley Recommends" system are an excellent response to this market trend. It is worth adding that the EU introduced the legal and institutional framework for the development of the regional product market and shortening the supply chains [39], and the "Barycz Valley Recommends" system as a local and bottom-up initiative fits perfectly into these assumptions and favours the creation of added value in the area of PDDB operations.…”

The Importance of Price in Poland’s Carp Market

“…the development of marketing focused on region and tradition [8,9]; • the increasing importance of regional and traditional product labelling [10]; • the growing popularity of the consumer ethnocentrism attitude [11], which in Poland is particularly visible in relation to food products [12]; • the growing number of consumers who, when buying food, are increasingly looking for proven, good quality, and well-known products, often regardless of the price [13]; • the growing number of consumers (the so-called "locavore") who attach increasing importance to local food that is not transported over long distances [14], according to the idea of shortening the food supply chain [15]; • rising interest in natural products [16].…”