Urban tourism and food culture as factors in the development of the city and agglomeration

The article is devoted to the study the role of food culture in the formation of urban tourism flows. The authors propose to divide all catering venues into types according to their specifics and orientation: “global”, “local”, “diverse”. The article shows the role of each type in urban tourism, both in terms of providing for the needs of guests and residents of the city and the agglomeration, and in terms of forming socio-economic effects for the territory. The article shows that changing the culture of food and the development of urban tourism affects changes in the cultural landscape of both the city and the agglomeration, the specifics of agriculture, and the formation of the urban environment. It is shown that catering venues are attractors not only for tourists, but also for local residents and create a variety of “third places” that allow citizens to relax in an informal environment in their city. The article describes the experience of Kazan. Being the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, the city adheres to the expansion of tourism potential since the beginning of the 21st century as a priority of its socio-economic development. Kazan has the trademark “Gastronomic Capital of Russia”. The city has more than two thousand catering venues, covering all designated types - global chains, local restaurants with local cuisine, a variety of food venues - from dining facilities accessible to everyone to unique dishes offered by chefs (author’s cuisine). Emerging gastronomic traditions and preferences support traditional types of agriculture and cooking and at the same time stimulate the development of new sectors of farming, for example, viticulture and cheese production. Such traditions and innovations form the appearance of the cultural landscape of the city and the agglomeration.