In conclusion, it could be argued that the role of tourism and gastronomy is “symbiotic”, in the mean that the destination provides the food, the recipes, the techniques, the cooks and the cultural base that transforms gastronomy into an ideal product for tourist consumption (Fields, 2002; Richards, 2002; Scarpato, 2002). Based on this approach, in addition to restaurants and wineries, other activities can be added (e.g., cookery books, shops selling cookware, commercial food outlets, TV cooking shows, visits to food factories, festivals dedicated to an agricultural product). Gastronomy allows the diversification of destinations by offering authentic routes and tastes, by promoting national PDO and PGI products and by developing an effective communication strategy through food storytelling, which can offer visitors a more genuine and lasting experience. Moira et al (2015: 142) suggests that “Storytelling on food means the association of cooking recipes and products with specific narratives of mythology, history, folklore, geography, cultural heritage and people of an area, locality or region.” IV. THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF GASTRONOMY TOURISM As mentioned earlier, Greece is the country where gastronomy was born. Greece has a rich gastro-wine tradition, and it is famous for its healthy diet, a part of Mediterranean Diet, recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. But how does Greece utilise this comparative advantage? Is there a relevant institutional framework and a targeted policy and strategy focusing on gastronomy? Is there a Public-Private Partnership to promote gastronomy tourism? In Greece both the public and the private tourism sector (e.g., tourist accommodation businesses, restaurants, airlines, shipping companies, travel agencies, food factories, food outlets, exhibition halls) invest on this market segment through various and imaginative initiatives and actions (e.g., productbased cultural routes, thematic museums) as they acknowledge the crucial role of local gastronomy in enhancing the attractiveness of the tourist product and creating a local or national brand name. The Greek Ministry of Tourism is the national competent authority for the promotion of Greek gastronomy. The Department of Special Interest Tourism (Directorate General for Tourism Policy/Directorate for Strategic Planning) is in charge of elaborating the institutional framework for the development of activities that utilise the cultural, historical, religious, folkloric, architectural and 495 THE INTEGRATION OF THE GREEK GASTRONOMIC IDENTITY AND PHILOSOPHY
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTE4NzM5Nw==