Potential of the truffle as a primary resource in the development of the gastronomic tourism in Istria

Hrana je postala ključan dio turističkog iskustva te shodno tome, dolazi do razvoja posebne grane turizma poznate pod nazivom gastro turizam. Kroz hranu turisti mogu upoznati kulturne vrijednosti lokalne sredine. S druge strane, lokalna zajednica može pomoću gastro turizma promovirati kulturnu baštinu i razvijati se. Najrazvijenija gastronomska regija u Hrvatskoj je Istra, koja nudi kvalitetnu ponudu autohtonih proizvoda. Unutar ovog rada istražen je potencijal tartufa kao temelj za daljnji razvoj gastronomskog turizma Istre. Za potrebe istraživanja korištene su dvije metodologije: anketa i intervju. Nadalje, istraženo je zanimanje ispitanika o gastro turizmu Istre i tartufima u gastronomskoj ponudi, a rezultati pokazuju visoko mišljenje o ponudi Istre kao gastronomskoj i turističkoj destinaciji. Istraživanjem je potvrđena postavljena hipoteza. Nadalje, dobiveni rezultati potvrđuju da je Istra gastronomska regija sa razvijenom i kvalitetnom ponudom te pokazuju da postoji interes stranih i domaćih turista za tartufe. Kako bi došlo do željenih rezultata, preporuča se raditi na edukaciji lokalnog stanovništva i turista i ulagati u promociju autohtonog proizvoda tartufa. Također, Istra kao regija treba nastaviti s bogatom ponudom sadržaja, kvalitete proizvoda i vrhunske usluge jer su to faktori koji motiviraju turiste na dolazak.Food has become an important part of the tourist experience and, accordingly, a special food tourism, known as gastro tourism, has developed. Through food, tourists can learn about the cultural values of the local community. On the other hand, the local community can use gastronomic tourism to promote cultural heritage and development. The most developed gastronomic region in Croatia is Istria, which offers a high-quality range of local products. In this thesis, the potential of truffle as a basis for the further development of gastronomic tourism in Istria was analyzed. For research purposes two methodologies were used: a survey and an interview. In addition, the interest of respondents in gastronomic tourism of Istria and truffles in the gastronomic offer of Istria was studied. The results show a high opinion about the offer of Istria and Istria as a gastronomic and tourist destination. The research confirmed the hypothesis. Furthermore, the obtained results confirm that Istria is a gastronomic region with a developed and quality offer and shows that there is an interest of both foreign and domestic tourists for truffles. To achieve the wanted results, it is recommended to educate the local population and tourists and to invest in the promotion of local products. Also, Istria should continue with its variety of tourist attractions, high-quality products, and top service because these are the factors that motivate tourists to visit