Gastrotourism or culinary tourism is a category of tourism, in which tourists have as their sole travel motivation the pursuit of activities of culinary interest. Travelers have as their main motivation the introduction of new methods of preparation of dishes, raw materials, new flavors and of course to delve into the culture, the customs and traditions, which “accompany” the local gastronomy.
A key component of a trip of culinary interest are the culinary workshops through which visitors are introduced to the methods of preparing dishes. Some examples of food tourism are cooking classes, festivals, tours of various local markets, tours of wineries and getting to know the art of brewing, tastings and more.
According to the research of Dr. Helena Williams (Mohammed VI Polytechnic University) shows that gastrotourists span economic strata (from students to millionaires), there are no significant differences between generations or genders, and they are also divided into intentional and accidental gastrotourists who significantly affect local economies.
Gastrotourists are an ever-growing and expanding sector of tourism since they travel more often, spend more, and post more on Social Media, elements that integrate this type of visitor into the mainstream tourism market.
Year after year, Cyprus focuses more and more on offering various gastronomic tourism experiences. The Deputy Ministry of Tourism focuses on the following 12 quality labels to promote various destinations, gastronomy, nature and experiences of Cyprus.
Of these labels, half emphasize gastronomy. In particular, on the “Heartland of Legends” website there are a multitude of workshops that focus on arts that are currently part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Cyprus, offering the opportunity to those interested to participate in workshops in which they can learn about the traditional arts of the Cypriot countryside or even and to learn modern crafts, where the modern blends harmoniously with the traditional. Some gastrotourism content workshops offered through this website are the Production of Traditional Halloumi and Anaris.
Equally important are the 7 wine routes in Cyprus which can be explored by various gastro-tourists. At the same time, there is also information available on: the Cypriot breakfast, the various participating hotels, local gastronomy and products related to the Cypriot Breakfast as well as recipes for local dishes through the Cyprus Breakfast website.
The registration of special thematic educational tourism itineraries is supported by the act entitled “EduTourism – Promotion of educational tourism for the promotion of natural and cultural heritage” which is implemented in the framework of the cross-border program Interreg V-A Greece – Cyprus 2014-2020. Specifically, the Nicosia Region Tourism Development and Promotion Company (ETAP Nicosia), as a partner in this act, has recorded three thematic routes in Cyprus which concern Gastronomy – Wine and Gastronomy, Tradition – Environment – Religious Heritage and Culture. For each of the aforementioned thematic routes, a record has been made of the important destinations that will undoubtedly be an important part for the further development of educational tourism in Cyprus.
For more information you can visit the website of the act and the website of the Interreg V-A Greece-Cyprus 2014-2020 Program.