Analysis of Gastronomy Information Content in Scope of Destination Marketing: A Review on Websites

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to reveal the gastronomy information content of the websites of Kocaeli destination management stakeholders and evaluate their use in terms of destination marketing and competitiveness. The other purpose of the study was to reveal the accessibility and harmony of gastronomy information contents. In the study, where document review was conducted within the scope of qualitative research, the documents to be analyzed were selected by the purposeful sampling method. In this context, the websites of Kocaeli Governorship, Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, which are the stakeholders of Kocaeli destination management, and provincial and district municipalities from local administrations were included in the study. Official websites of selected stakeholders were accessed between 01.12.2019 - 31.12.2019. Descriptive analysis was applied to the data obtained from nine websites and the results were interpreted. As a result of the study, information on gastronomy on the websites came to the fore as Kocaeli cuisine and its features, local dishes and visuals, agricultural products and visuals, gastronomic festivals, restaurants, cultural identities and food diversity. However, despite Kocaeli's rich gastronomic potential, it was concluded that stakeholders did not benefit sufficiently from the attractiveness of gastronomy products as a destination marketing tool, did not establish destination competition on gastronomy and there was a lack of coordination among stakeholders.