Exploring Potentials for Culinary Tourism through a Food Festival: The Case of Thessaloniki Food Festival

Abstract

This paper seeks to conceptualize the way Thessaloniki is promoting culinary tourism, whilst supporting and building upon local networks; engaging and co-creating an urban experience with its citizens and visitors. The aim of the paper is to suggest a potential framework that can be used as a strategic planning tool for the promotion of culinary tourism in Thessaloniki. In this direction, a food festival is being investigated. The last, is conceived by the organizers as the foundation of the idea of culinary tourism in the city. However, the findings indicate that there is a lack of active participation by the locals and not enough communication among various assets that are associated with the culinary identity of the city. In general, Thessaloniki seems to embody the ongoing struggle of a new destination, which is dealing with the complex process of branding and marketing without having the proper tools and the vital required collaboration between its structural networks. Accordingly, the research provides a lens through which the culinary culture of Thessaloniki can be used as a strategic pillar for stimulating a sustainable way of “consuming” and promoting the city’s identity; enhancing Thessaloniki’s appeal as a culinary destination.