The Mediterranean province of Antalya, known internationally as one of Türkiye’s leading tourism hubs, is now making a concerted move to establish itself as a destination for gastronomy tourism by cataloguing, protecting and promoting its local food heritage.
To diversify tourism and turn local culinary traditions into economic value, the Antalya Governor’s Office spearheaded the creation of the Antalya Gastronomy Platform, focusing on geographical indication registration and product certification.
The platform has carried out a comprehensive inventory covering the city center and all districts to identify local foods eligible for geographical indication status.
As a result of these efforts, applications have been submitted for around 200 local products.
Geographical indications serve as a form of intellectual property protection that certifies a product's quality and reputation based on its specific regional origin.
Boasting 19 officially registered geographically indicated products, the city has seen its hotels and restaurants begin to feature these certified traditional dishes more prominently on their menus.
Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin said ongoing efforts aim to capitalize on a growing interest in gastronomy by completing the certification process and converting traditional products into significant economic assets.
Hakan Saatçioğlu, president of a hotel managers' association, said the association seeks to promote geographically indicated products during its monthly meetings.
“Antalya welcomes around 17 million tourists each year, with an average stay of seven days. Some leave without ever tasting Turkish food,” Saatçioğlu said. “We are making an effort to introduce our cuisine.”
Güray Parlak, a member of the local gastronomy platform, underlined the role of gastronomy in preserving traditional seeds and culinary culture for future generations.
“Each registered product is an ambassador for its city,” Parlak said. “We are ambitious about making Antalya a gastronomy city. Gastronomy is essential for diversifying tourism.”
