The Role of Gastronomic Tradition and Culture in the Development of Tourism

This paper aims to present gastronomy tourism, which is a new concept and form of tourism, treated independently of other forms of tourism, combining characteristics of cultural, thematic and sustainable tourism, aiming at satisfying and educating tourists in traditional culinary arts, bringing benefits to the local population and maintaining various sectors of the economy. Gastronomy tourism, a new form of tourism, is part of cultural tourism, which addresses the culture of a region, especially through its artistic and traditional values, including tourism in rural areas, with its specific activities such as: agrotourism, outdoor gastronomic festivals, product tasting, etc. Gastronomy tourism, as a distinct form of cultural tourism, is based on the discovery of the traditions and values of local communities and entities, whether it is local tradition, gastronomy or rediscovery of values, folklore or old crafts, 80% of Romanian rural pensions being based on such an approach.