Gastronomic tourism as an independent type of services: formation trends

Gastronomic tourism as an independent direction of services is in initial stage of development. Food and its variety are an element of any trip, due to the peculiarities of the host territory or country. In this regard, until recently, gastronomic preferences were associated with cultural, educational, health and sport tourism. The growing demand and the quality of life of the population have actualized many types of activities in separate areas, since practical tools are needed to regulate demand, form a popular market supply that is important for territorial networks and clusters providing multidisciplinary tourist and recreational services. The object of the article’s research is gastronomic tourism as an independent type of services. The subject of the research is the scientific, theoretical and practical foundations of this type of activity. The article presents the classification of gastronomic tourism, defines its types and groups. The factors that can affect the effectiveness of the development of this direction, such as proper nutrition, a healthy lifestyle, the need to get new impressions, are considered. The author analyzes definitions of the concepts of “gastronomic tourism” and “culinary tourism”, classifies the existing types of gastronomic tours. The factors limiting the gastronomic tourism development in our country are considered. The data of the survey of residents in the framework of awareness about this tourist destination are also given. The study concluded that the effectiveness of the development of gastronomic tourism in Russia is directly related to the organizational abilities of tourist operators.