MEANING, ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF GASTRONOMIC TOURISM
The word gastronomy itself was first introduced in France last two centuries, when the French author Jacques Berchoux titled his poem La Gastronomies, ou l’homme des champs table (Gastronomy, or the peasant at the table). The word became popular and in 1835 was included in the dictionary of the French Academy as ‘the art of good eating’ [7]. Gastronomy emphasizes that food is a core component of every culture. Indeed when people visit to another place, they somehow may have the opportunities to perceive the local food which differed from their usual life. Thus, a gastronomic tourist is a particular people who are willing to travel the other place in attempt to taste and experience locally authentic cuisines of the destinations. Culinary history is intrinsically linked to the cultural history of the country of origin. According to the International Culinary Tourism Association (ICTA), culinary tourism is defined as “the pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences” [8]. Therefore, gastronomic tourism refers to trips made to destinations where the local food and beverages are the main motivating factors for travel. Thailand is a paradise for gastronomy tourists. Indeed the country produces a great variety of food and produces it in great quantity. Thailand is one of those countries that are not only food self-sufficient but are also big food exporters on the world market. Moreover, Thailand is being ranked among the top 5 producers of food in the world [9]. Food and beverage consumption is an important component of visitor expenditure in Thailand. The TAT states that in 2011, on average, food travelers in Ayutthaya spent around 1,489.96 baht per person per day, with almost half (around 48%) of their travel budget going towards food-related activities [10]. These can be considered the food travelers tend to spend a significantly higher amount of their overall travel budget on food-related activities such as meals and local food products. In any case, gastronomy plays a major role in the way tourists experience the destination, and indicate that some travelers would return to the same destination to savor its unique gastronomy. To this direction, more and more tourism providers are now focusing on the food element as a central part of its destination tourism product. As well as the gastronomic tourism provides visitors with both of an authentic culinary education and a far greater understanding, appreciation and connection to a destination.