A view on culinary tourism – case study of Catania, Italy

Travel to culinary destination has surged in the past few decades. Culinary tourism is increasingly important for world travelers, and Italy is at the top in Europe owing to many aspects related to an experiential type of tourism that people really like. The paper aims to give insight especially into the relevance of Italian food. It also presents the case study of the city Catania, Sicily. Sicily is one of the most important Italian regions due to its landscape, nature and beauty, and is characterized by quality and richness in local cuisine. Culinary tourism is an opportunity to revive and diversify tourism, promote local economic development, develop new uses of materials in the primary sector and to strengthen the image of Italian food. Results include the identification of key aspects relevant to tourists who set out on a culinary tour, because the gastronomic heritage of the Sicily is recognized as a valuable tourist product and an opportunity to discover the diversity of local and regional culture.