As Türkiye gears up to boost its gastronomic tourism revenues, the aim is for this sector's earnings to reach $18 billion (TL 612.30 billion) by the end of the year and $25 billion by 2025.
According to a report by the Ahiler Development Agency compiled by Anadolu Agency (AA), gastronomic tourism is defined as traveling to explore a region's or country's culinary culture, local dishes, beverages and production methods.
Türkiye, which is increasing its tourism revenues every year, is considered one of the leading countries in this field.
The country boasts over 2,200 regional foods and beverages, with important gastronomic centers, including cities such as Gaziantep, Adana, Hatay and Izmir.
Efforts are also underway to develop gastronomic tourism and extend it throughout the year, with training provided in 41 different culinary, chef and patisserie courses, 16 of which are in Istanbul.
According to the report, there are 34 gastronomic museums in Türkiye for promoting local products, and over 360 gastronomic festivals are organized across the country.
Events to promote Turkish cuisine culture have also been held in countries such as the U.S., China, Russia, Spain and Canada to enhance gastronomic tourism.
According to the Turkish Statistical Institute's (TurkStat) tourism statistics, 20% of the $23.66 billion in tourism revenue for the first half of the year came from the food and beverage category.
The revenue for this category in the first half of the year was $4.74 billion. Last year, the total revenue from the food and beverage category was $10.92 billion. These figures highlight the potential for revenue growth in gastronomic tourism.
Gürkan Boztepe, president of the Gastronomy Tourism Association, evaluated the development of gastronomic tourism in Türkiye, noting that in recent years, gastronomic tourism has become a significant part of Türkiye's overall tourism strategy.
Boztepe pointed out that Türkiye’s goal of "60 million tourists, $60 billion in revenue" includes a substantial potential for gastronomy. He mentioned that Gaziantep's recognition as a "City of Gastronomy" by UNESCO further boosts this sector's growth potential.
Boztepe added that gastronomic tourism revenue has been increasing year by year, stating: "Gastronomic tourism revenues reached $5.1 billion in 2021 and increased to $15 billion last year. Our end-of-year target for gastronomic tourism is $18 billion, and the 2025 goal is $25 billion. The country's rich culinary culture could be a strong tool in achieving this goal."
To compete globally with countries that have deep culinary traditions, Boztepe emphasized the need to expand sustainable tourism policies, stating: "Gastronomy cities should be promoted more effectively on an international level. Türkiye is progressing toward becoming a global player in gastronomic tourism. Türkiye needs to compete with countries that are leaders in gastronomic tourism, such as Italy, France and Spain. Türkiye stands out as a strong candidate in this race, especially with its recent advancements in gastronomy and UNESCO-recognized gastronomy cities."