Visitors’ Perceptions towards Traditional and Regional Products in Trabzon (Turkey) and Podhale (Poland)

Abstract

Gastronomy tourism is defined as a type of tourism that deals with the relationship between food and beverages and culture in the context of the local culinary culture. Local dishes, recipes, and culinary culture, which express the lifestyle of cities, are an important part of tourists’ choice of destinations. According to many studies undertaken in recent years, tourists have seen an increase in the number of trips conducted to taste a cultural dish and to learn cooking techniques and cooking skills. In this study, the Trabzon (Turkey) and Podhale (Poland) regions were selected as a study area. These regions are characterised by unique, very interesting culture and art and, especially, folklore. The cuisines from Podhale and from the Trabzon region are equally attractive. The study was conducted on 151 people in Trabzon and 102 respondents in the Podhale region. The study revealed that only 15 out of 253 respondents had not heard about regional and traditional products. The authors analyzed whether people from different age groups had specific habits concerning the place of purchasing regional products in the analysed regions of Poland and Turkey. Regarding the question of whether the motivation to buy regional products was the same in households with a larger and smaller number of residents, it was found that only one correlation proved to be statistically significant: the correlation between household size and buying regional products because of their price.

1. Introduction

Throughout history, people have traveled to areas outside of their own for various reasons. These trips, which were made only by rich and idle people in the past, are made by people everywhere depending on the development of industry and technology, the increase of the income per capita, the increase of the level of prosperity, the increase of free time, and cheaper transportation [1].

According to the European Commission [2], there is increasing interest in local cultures and urban tourism because of the increase in the level of education of the people, the increase of their incomes, the attraction of different tastes, the recognition of different cultures and shopping, and the serious attraction of sun, sea and sand tourism.

The food culture of a region consists of food and beverage types and habits belonging to the region [3]. Food has historically been considered a key attraction for tourists, with many destinations attempting to provide tourists with culinary experiences [4]. According to Capaldi [5], eating is one of the most fundamental human activities; therefore, research on food has globally increased in many disciplines and is recognized as an important tourism attraction [6,7,8].

Food culture and tourism have a very close relationship [9,10]. Several authors have investigated the relationship between gastronomy and tourism as follows: Henderson [9] presented three research lines around the relationship between tourism and gastronomy; as food tourism products, food tourism as a tourist destination, and the marketing of food and general development tools. Besides this work, Cheng and Huang [11] point to a narrow relationship between gastronomy and tourism, with four different lines. First, gastronomy is part of the local culture; second, gastronomy plays a role for tourists; third, food is considered a tourist product; and fourth, gastronomy is a tourism experience. Finally, Björk and Kauppinen-Räisänen [12] investigated gastronomy and current trends in the relationship between tourism and suggested two different lines. First, gastronomy tourism has emerged as a lure because travelers are attracted to new food-based feelings and experiences with the new [13]. The visits are carried out to identify the location of a food culture, providing an economic contribution to the region.

The aim of this study is to assess the perception of regional cuisine products as well as the preferences and motivations of their purchase by tourists who visit selected destinations in Poland and Turkey. The authors analyzed the perception of traditional and regional products that have the relevant certificates. Each of the analyzed countries has different legal regulations that govern the granting of regional product certificates for specific groups of products.

2. Literature Review

Since tourism is a rapidly growing and developing industry, it is difficult to define the concept of tourism in a simple way. Stephan, Smith and Xiao [14] describe tourism as an experience that teaches local resource values and boosts their consumption. When tourism is considered in this respect, local dishes constitute an important part of recognizing the culture of the destination. According to Hjagaler and Richards [15], local food is an important part of tourism, providing both a cultural and fun experience. Visitors tend to prefer traditional local products, increasing the value of the destination [16]. For some tourists, trying or buying local products is the main purpose of tourism activities.

Gastronomy is a concept that examines the tastes and structures of foods and beverages in local culinary culture and the relationship between tableware and culture. Gastronomy was popular in the 1800s and has been used to signify “good eating and drinking” [17]. The concept of gastronomy is associated with art, cuisine, food and culture [18]. Different names such as “gastro-tourism,,”” “food tourism,” “gourmet tourism,” “culinary tourism,” and “gastronomy tourism” are used in the literature to describe food and beverage-based tourism activities [12,19].

Wolf [20] defines gastronomy tourism as travel which searchs for prepared food and beverages and memorable gastronomic experiences. However, all visits to a restaurant should not be considered to be gastronomy tourism, but are shaped by tourists’ interest in traditional local products. Gastronomy tourism is carried out at food festivals and restaurants, to taste the dishes of a particular chef and to buy traditional local products [21]. The creation of cultural theme trails, including culinary trails, is considered an important factor of regional development [22].

Local cuisine attractiveness significantly contributes to tourists’ perceptions of a destination’s attractiveness [23]. Gastronomy tourism can be narrowly defined as tourists visiting food producers, restaurants, food-related festivals, and other places where special foods and their ingredients are produced, sometimes by professional chefs. Gastronomy tourism describes trips aimed at tasting unique food, and it is also referred to as food tourism or kitchen tourism [24]. This type of tourism offers tourists the opportunity to experience cultural and local tastes and smells which will remain with them forever [25]. Çalışkan [25] stated that gastronomic tourism is an important tool for reflecting the cultural identity and heritage of the region.

The analyzed regions are subject to different legal regulations concerning the certification of regional products. In Poland, which is a Member State of the European Union, the Quality Policy is realized by means of granting certification signs to those agricultural and food products that originate from specific regions and are manufactured with the use of traditional methods. The system of protecting and manufacturing regional and traditional products is an important factor that influences the sustainable development of rural areas. As a result, the objectives of the First Pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy are realised by the system of protection and promotion of regional and traditional products. This policy contributes to the protection (and sometimes creation) of new jobs and improves the protection of cultural heritage. In Turkey, due to the European Union, regulatory compliance with the Decree Law Regulation no. 555 on the Protection of Geographical Indications has been protected legally since 1995. According to Article 1 of this Decree, the law covers all the definitions and conditions relevant to the Geographical Indications protection of all natural, agricultural, mining, arts, crafts, and industrial products that comply with the definitions. The Turkish Patent Institute is the authorized organ for the registration of geographical indications. In Geographical Indications registration, the aim is to protect the quality of the product in question, to ensure standardized production and to enable the producers in the region to benefit from registration [26,27]. Many countries around the world, especially European countries, protect their local products with a geographical indication.

Turkey is also one of the countries with local products that are legally protected under the geographical indication. According to European Union regulations in Turkey, there are many traditional food products which must be registered for geographical indication [28,29,30]. The number of studies related to gastronomy tourism in the world and Turkey has been increasing in recent years. Çalışkan [25], Cheng and Huang [11], Sengel et al. [31], Pérez Gálvez et al. [21], and Başaran [32] conducted a literature review and questionnaire in their studies.

Turkish cuisine consists of soups, vegetable dishes, meat dishes, olive oil labor, pastry products, dried legume dishes, salads, and sweets [32]. Trabzon cuisine is a typical Anatolian cuisine, which consists mainly of animal products such as meat, milk, yogurt, cereals, vegetables and herbs. The cuisine of the Trabzon region consists of black bean soup, kuymak, slippery, pickled roast, Tonya butter, Kulek cheese, Vakfıkebir bread, Surmene pita bread, Akcaabat meatball, anchovy, rice with anchovy, and Hamsiköy rice pudding.

In line with the literature review, the following hypothesis is examined: traditional and regional products are an important factor for tourists when choosing a city to visit. Local food holds great potential to enhance sustainability in tourism, contribute to the authenticity of the destination, strengthen the local economy, and provide an environmentally friendly infrastructure [33].

3. Materials and Methods

The aim of the presented research was to recognize the preferences of tourists who visit the Podhale (Poland) and Trabzon (Turkey) regions with respect to purchasing traditional and regional products. These categories include all products that possess the relevant certificates (product description has been presented above). Pursuant to the established research objective, a literature review was conducted and a survey was carried out on 253 tourists, including 151 people in the Trabzon region and 102 in Podhale.

The following research hypotheses were formulated:

H1: The motivations of tourists to purchase regional products are similar in both analyzed regions in Poland and Turkey.

H2: The price and lack of access to regional products is the main barrier preventing tourists from purchasing them, regardless of the analyzed region, both in Poland and Turkey.

The research was divided into the following stages:

• Review of subject literature and setting the research objective;
• Identification of regional products that were granted the relevant certificates in the Podhale and Trabzon regions, divided into categories;
• Preparing the survey (questionnaire);
• Conducting research in selected regions of Poland and Turkey;
• Analysis of the obtained results carried out with the use of descriptive and statistical methods, as well as the analysis of the following correlations:

  -

  Paying attention to the marketing of regional products vs. the age of respondents;

  -

  Distinguishing regional products vs. the gender of respondents;

  -

  Place of purchasing regional products in the analyzed regions of Poland and Turkey vs. the age of respondents;

  -

  Motivation for purchasing regional products vs. place of residence of respondents;

  -

  Motivation for purchasing regional products vs. the number of persons in the household.

• Verification of research hypotheses.

The respondents for the survey were selected by targeted random sampling. The main criterion was the place of residence of the respondents outside the analyzed region (to select persons who visited Podhale and Trabzon as tourists). Source materials were collected based on a survey carried out in the form of a questionnaire [34,35]. The survey was conducted on randomly selected persons from outside the region, collecting a total of 253 respondents in various age groups. The authors did not specify any guidelines concerning the number of respondents of the given gender, age or place of residence. The number of respondents was important.

The respondents were asked to answer questions concerning their knowledge of the term “regional products” and “traditional products” and the way of distinguishing regional products from other products. They were also asked to give the names of the products that they purchased most often. Apart from the type of most frequently purchased products, the survey contained lists of possible answers (multiple choice questions). Thirteen such questions were asked altogether. This type of questioning is easier to use both for the respondent and the interviewer. Moreover, such questions eliminate the respondent’s inability to express their opinion. They facilitate the classification, encoding, reduction, and analysis of data. The survey also analyzed how often tourists purchase regional products, the reasons for this purchase and whether they encounter any obstacles in purchasing such products. Here, the optional answers were also specified. Potential obstacles in purchasing products included price, quality, lack of information, taste, difficult access, smell, lack of knowledge or other factors specified by the respondent. One of the questions concerned the places where respondents most often purchased traditional products. The options included restaurants, supermarkets, stalls, local shops, regional markets, and other. Obviously, the survey also contained control questions concerning the age and gender of the respondents, their education, type of place of residence, and the number of persons in their households.

The authors decided to omit the question about the income of the household, as respondents are usually reluctant to answer this and so such questions discourage co-operation.

The authors previously conducted studies on the willingness to purchase organic products [36].

The study revealed that only 15 out of 253 respondents had not heard about regional and traditional products. A majority of those to whom this term was unknown came from the Podhale region in Poland (and one respondent from Trabzon).

The study was conducted on 151 tourists in Trabzon and 102 respondents in Zakopane: in Turkey, 51.0% of the respondents were female and 49.0% were male, while in Poland, 73.5% were female and 6.5% male. The age structure of respondents in the surveyed regions, place of residence and number of persons in a household are shown in Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3.

The group of respondents was a certain limitation, as younger tourists were generally more willing to answer the questions than elderly ones.

Most tourists and residents associate the region with traditional cuisine; however, do all of them perceive it in the same way? In order to clarify several doubts, the following research questions were posed:

• Do people of the same age pay attention to the different markings of regional products in the analyzed regions?
• Is there a correlation between gender and the way of distinguishing regional products?
• Do people from different age groups have their own habits concerning the place of purchasing regional products in the analyzed regions of Poland and Turkey?
• Is the motivation to buy regional products the same in people who live in the country and in cities in the analyzed regions of Poland and Turkey?
• Is the motivation to buy regional products the same in households with a larger and smaller number of residents?

In order to provide answers to the above research questions, statistical analyses were conducted with use of the IBM SPSS Statistics package, version 16. It was used to perform a series of correlation analyses with the Pearson Chi² test. The adopted level of significance was the classical threshold α = 0.05, although the probability results of the test ranging from 0.05 < α < 0.1 were interpreted as significant on the level of statistical tendency.

The Trabzon and Podhale regions, which have a natural urban texture and a local food culture, were chosen as the study area (Figure 4). The Trabzon region (39⁰ 07′ 43,8′’ and 40⁰ 30′ 15,5′’ East Longitude, 40⁰ 31′ 31,3′’ and 41⁰ 06′ 27,5′’ North Latitude) is located in the north of the Black Sea coast of Turkey and has an area of 4628 km². Neighboring provinces of Trabzon are Karadeniz (North), Gümüşhane and Bayburt (South), Rize (East), and Giresun (West). The region has rich natural and cultural beauties, culinary culture and rich tourism potential: culture tourism, urban tourism, health tourism, congress tourism, sports tourism, caravan tourism, youth tourism, and sea tourism are undertaken in the region.

Podhale is a cultural region in southern Poland, at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, in the catchment of upper Dunajec River. It occupies the central part of the Podhale Basin and its southern part enters the Tatra. The borders of the region are quite clear: it is limited by the Gorce Mountains to the north, the Tatra to the south, the Białka River to the east and the European Watershed (dividing the basins of rivers that flow to the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea) to the west.

In the scope of the study, literature on gastronomy tourism was searched for, and local and foreign articles, theses, and internet sites were examined [12,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,24,25,37]. A questionnaire was conducted with 253 local people, comprising 102 people living in the Podhale region and 151 people living in the Trabzon region for data collection; 15 questions were asked to the local people with their demographic characteristics. The first nine questions of the questionnaire were prepared in order to determine whether traditional and regional products are preferred in Trabzon and Podhale regions, how often they are used and the potential of gastronomy tourism. A statistical program (SPSS 16.0) was used in the evaluation of the questionnaire results.

4. Results and Discussion

4.1. Regional and Traditional Products in the Analysed Regions of Podhale and Trabzon

Traditional Podhale cuisine emerged as a result of difficult natural conditions. Oats, potatoes, cabbage, and spring barley were grown in the mountainous areas, and sheep were grazing on the mountain pastures. Including a product in the list of regional products in Poland assures the consumers that they are purchasing a high-quality product manufactured in the traditional way. The table below (

Table 1. The list of regional products in the Podhale region divided into categories.

No	Product Category	Product Name	Date of Entry on the List of Traditional Products/Date of Certification
I	Milk products	Bryndza podhalańska	2005-09-28
		Bundz/bunc	2005-10-10
		oscypek	2005-09-28
		redykołka	2005-10-10
		Ser gazdowski – gołka, pucok, kara	2008-10-07
		żentyca	2005-09-28
II	Meat products	Jagnięcina podhalańska	2008-06-26
		Kiełbasa podhalańska ze Skrzypnego	2014-12-09
III	Fisheries prodcts	-
IV	Vegetables and fruits	-
V	Bakery and confectionery products	-
VI	Oils and fats	-
VII	Honey	-
VIII	Ready meals and dishes	Mountain-style cabbage	2013-04-24
		Kaszanka – kiszka z kapustą zasmażaną	2013-03-24
		Hauski noodles	2013-03-22
		Moskol	2011-08-25
		Zupa zaproska	2012-03-06
		Tarcioki – scykane noodles	2013-03-22
IX	Beverages	-
X	Other	-

Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development—a website of the Polish government [37].

) presents a list of regional products that were granted the relevant certificates in the Podhale region, divided into categories.

The description of traditional and regional products from the Podhale region constitutes Supplementary Materials to the paper. The descriptions of products were based on information published on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development—a website of the Polish government [37].

Oscypek was the answer that nearly all of the 102 participants gave to the question, “What is the first traditional regional product that comes to your mind when you say in Podhale?” Based on the conducted survey, it was determined that only one tourist in the Podhale region had not heard about regional products. In the Trabzon region, no such persons were found.

These results are confirmed by research conducted in [38]. The Podhale region is mainly associated with cheese—oscypek (smoked sheep milk hard cheese), bundz (sheep milk cheese), and kwaśnica (sauerkraut soup). The results of those tests on the types of products in regional cuisine demonstrate that about 57% of the respondents named at least one dish of that cuisine, including 37% choosing oscypek as a characteristic product, and only individual persons chose roasted mutton, bryndza (sheep milk cheese), and hałuski (thick noodles or dumplings).

The popularity of culinary tourism among tourists in Poland was determined in the research carried out in 2013. As many as 85% of active tourists declared that they are interested in tasting the regional cuisine’s dishes [39].

Geographical indication-registered regional cuisine has become quite popular in Turkey in recent times. The city of Trabzon also has a registered regional cuisine due to its rich culinary culture. The Trabzon region has rich culinary culture due to its rooted culture level, its historical life, and its rich vegetation cover.

The reason for this diversity has been the influence of different cultures throughout history. Although the dishes that are unique to the region are not known in other regions, the taste, structure and names are different [40,41,42] (

Table 2. The list of regional products in the Trabzon region divided into categories.

No	Product Category	Product Name	Date of Entry on the List of Traditional Products/Date of Certification
I	Milk products	Hamsikoy rice pudding	2017-10-06
		Tonya butter	2017-12-18
		Kulek cheese	2018-06-25
		Kuymak
II	Meat products	Akcaabat meatballs	2008-07-31
III	Fisheries prodcts	Anchovy
		Rice with anchovy
IV	Vegetables and fruits
V	Bakery and confectionery products	Vakfıkebir bread	2017-11-30
		Surmene pita bread	2017-05-12
VI	Oils and fats	-
VII	Honey	-
VIII	Ready meals and dishes	Black bean soup
IX	Beverages	-
X	Other	Pickled roast
		Slippery

Source: Trabzon Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism—a website of Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism [43].

).

The traditional and regional products that are certified by the European Union in the Trabzon region are Hamsikoy rice pudding, Tonya butter, Kulek cheese, Akcaabat meatballs, Vakfıkebir bread and Surmene pita bread. Other traditional and regional products of Trabzon region are black bean soup, kuymak, anchovy, rice with anchovy, pickled roast, and slippy. These traditional and regional products do not have a certificate determined by the European Union.

The Trabzon region presents the opportunity to taste local delicacies in many different venues throughout the city. The most preferred local food places by locals and tourists are Ayasofya, Cephanelik, Yeşil Vadi, and Sera Lake [43]. The description of traditional and regional products from the Trabzon region constitutes Supplementary Materials to the paper.

According to Guerrero et al. [44], a traditional food may be classified as “a product … made accurately in a specific way according to the gastronomic heritage, … and known because of its sensory proprieties and associated with a certain local area, region or country.” These goods generally possess positive images due to their superior taste, nostalgia and/or ethnocentrism [45,46]. The studies were compared according to the classification of traditional and local products in both regions (

Table 3. Comparison of traditional and regional products in both regions.

No	Product category	Number of Products
		Podhale Region	Trabzon Region
I	Milk products	6	3
II	Meat products	2	1
III	Fisheries prodcts	0	0
IV	Vegetables and fruits	0	0
V	Bakery and confectionery products	0	2
VI	Oils and fats	0	0
VII	Honey	0	0
VIII	Ready meals and dishes	6	0
IX	Beverages	0	0
X	Other	0	0

Source: own elaboration.

).

On the other hand, for the question “What is the first traditional regional product that comes to mind when you say Trabzon?,” of the 151 participants, 22.6% gave the answer “Tonya butter,” 14.6% “Vakfıkebir bread,” 12.0% “Kulek cheese,” 10.66% “Akçaabat meatballs,” 9.33% “Kuymak,” 8.0% “Black bean soup,” 7.33% “anchovy,” 6.66% “hazelnut,” 4.0% “cornflour,” 2.66% “Hamsikoy rice pudding,” and 2.16% answered “tea.”

4.2. Main Results of the Survey

In Trabzon, the largest number of participants—i.e., 48.7%—answered the question, “How can you distinguish traditional and regional products from others?” with “Own knowledge,” followed by 16.7% who answered with “Advertisement,” 14.0% in third place answered “Special designation,” then 11.0% “Label,” 9.0% “Separate stand,” and finally 0.7% gave the answer “Other (packing).” In Zakopane, most of the respondents pointed to ”Special designation” (58.8%) and “Label” (51%). ‘

“Separate stand” and “Own knowledge” also received over 40% of the answers (47% and 42%, respectively). Labeling is a powerful quality signal and a direct aid to consumers in making purchase decisions because it can convey important information on the search, experience and credence attributes of the products [47,48]. The production costs of eco-labelled products are higher than those of conventional ones because eco-labelled products require careful management from the raw materials and subsidiary materials to the packaging (the product is manufactured using an eco-friendly process and production method) [36].

This demonstrates that, in Poland, respondents rely on designation and labelling, while in Turkey, they use mainly their own knowledge. Both in Trabzon and in Zakopane, a vast majority of respondents buy regional products (93.4% in Trabzon and 86.3% in Zakopane). Only a small group of respondents do not purchase such products.

The survey also analysed the frequency of purchasing traditional and regional foods. It was found that, in Trabzon, 37.1% of the total number of 151 participants gave the answer “Once a month,” 33.8% “Once a week,” 20.5% “Once every six months,” 5.3% “I don’t buy” and 3.3% answered “Every day” (Figure 5).

In Podhale, 30% of the total number of 102 participants chose the answer “Once a month,” 28% “Once a week,” 17% “Once every six months,” 17% “Rarely,” and 6% “Every day.”

A question about the obstacles to buying this kind of products was also included in the survey: “What prevents you from buying traditional and regional products?.” The answers revealed that, out of the total number of 151 participants in Trabzon, 28.6% gave the answer “Price,” 24.5% “Difficult access,” 11.6% “Lack of information about product,” 10.2% “Quality,” 9.5% “Taste,” 4.1% “Smell” and 2.7% “Other (distrust, no need).” In Zakopane, 64.7% gave the answer “Difficult access,” and 60.8% “Price.” These were the most frequently named obstacles.

The research provided an answer to the question: “What are your reasons for buying traditional and regional products?.” Both in Trabzon and in Podhale, the most frequent answer was “Taste” (47% of respondents in Turkey and as many as 72.5% in Poland), followed by 29.8% of respondents answering “Quality,” at 17.9% (Trabzon) and 63.7% (Podhale). The price did not play a significant role either in Trabzon or in Zakopane.

The products most often purchased in Trabzon (question: “What are the traditional products you buy the most?”) included “Tonya butter” (27.6% respondents). In total, 23.6% of respondents answered “Kulek cheese,” 9.8% ”Vakfıkebir bread,” 7.89% “Cornflour,” 5.92% “Akçaabat meatballs,” 5.26% “Hazelnut,” 3.94% “Black bean soup,” 3.28% “Hamsikoy rice pudding,” 2.63% “anchovy” and “milk,” 2.2% “Kuymak,” 1.97% “yoghurt” and “tea,” 1.31% “Surmena pita bread.” In the Podhale region, the most popular product is definitely Oscypek.

As for the next question, “Where do you buy traditional local products?,” in first place, 62.0% of the participants answered “Local shops,” followed by 19.3% in second place with “Markets,” 12.0% in third place with “Other (village, manufacturer, relative),” then 4.0% “Restaurant,” 2.0% “Regional fairground” and finally 0.7% gave the answer “Stand.” In Zakopane, such products are mainly purchased from street market stands.

4.3. The Correlation between Gender and the Way of Distinguishing Regional Products

During the study, the authors verified whether people from different age groups paid attention to different designations of regional products. For this purpose, Pearson Chi² analysis was conducted, calculating the Cramer’s V measure that allowed us to determine the strength of associations. Additionally, Fisher’s adjustment was used in the analyses, where an expected value lower than 5 was noted (

Table 4. The correlation between gender and the way of distinguishing regional products.

Possible Answers:	Age
	χ2	p	V
Distinguishing regional products based on labels	1.35	0.509	0.12
Distinguishing regional products based on special designations	4.05	0.132	0.21
Distinguishing regional products based on separate stands	2.93	0.231	0.18
Distinguishing regional products based on own knowledge	2.18	0.336	0.15
Distinguishing regional products based on advertising*	0.87	0.648	0.10
Distinguishing regional products based on other methods*	1.53	0.465	0.13

* Analyses performed with Fisher’s adjustment.

).

It was determined that age was not linked in any way to the manner of distinguishing regional products. The correlations between variables proved statistically insignificant. Regardless of their age, respondents pointed to similar factors that enabled them to distinguish regional and traditional products.

Then, the correlation between gender and the way of distinguishing regional products was verified. A series of Pearson’s Chi² tests were used for calculations, so that the correlation between gender and each way of distinguishing regional products discussed here was analysed. As the size of tables was 2 x 2, an adjustment for continuity was used, and the Phi measure was calculated (

Table 5. The correlation between gender and the way of distinguishing regional products.

Possible Answers	Gender
	χ2	p	φ
Distinguishing regional products based on labels	1.03	0,.09	0.12
Distinguishing regional products based on special designations	1.43	0.233	0.14
Distinguishing regional products based on separate stands	0	1	0.01
Distinguishing regional products based on own knowledge	3.11	0.078	0.2
Distinguishing regional products based on advertising*	0	1	0.01
Distinguishing regional products based on other methods*	0.29	0.592	0.17

Source: own elaboration.

).

The only correlation that reached the level of a statistical trend, although its strength was low, was the link between gender and distinguishing regional products based on “own knowledge.” The other correlations were statistically insignificant. The authors decided to prepare a frequency distribution for the correlations between the variables of gender and distinguishing regional products based on “own knowledge” (

Table 6. Correlation between gender and distinguishing regional products based on own knowledge.

		Not Applicable	Applicable
Female	Population	39	36
	% of the gender group	52	48
	% of the group distinguishing regional products based on own knowledge	66.1	83.7
	% of the total population of respondents	38.2	35.3
Male	Population	20	7
	% of the gender group	74.1	25.9
	% of the group distinguishing regional products based on own knowledge	33.9	16.3
	% of the total population of respondents	19.6	6.9

Source: own elaboration.

).

The data presented above demonstrated that both men and women significantly more often do not decide to distinguish regional products based on “own knowledge.” However, as far as women were concerned, the differences between declarations about not distinguishing regional products based on own knowledge and actually not doing so was smaller than in men. This means that men rely on their own knowledge when choosing regional products less often than women.

4.4. The Link between Age and Place of Residence with the Habits related to the Place of Purchasing Regional Products

The next stage involved conducting several Pearson’s Chi² analyses again. This enabled us to verify whether there was a difference in the habits concerning the place of purchasing regional products depending on the age of the respondents. Additionally, the Cramer’s V measure was used to interpret the strength of this effect. The results are presented in

Table 7. The link between age and place of residence with the habits related to the place of purchasing regional products.

	Age
	χ2	p	V
Buying traditional and regional products in restaurants*	1.02	0.717	0.1
Buying traditional and regional products in supermarkets	2.41	0.3	0.16
Buying traditional and regional products from special stands	1.33	0.514	0.12
Buying traditional and regional products in local stores	0.62	0.733	0.08
Buying traditional and regional products in regional fairgrounds	5.28	0.071	0.24
Buying traditional and regional products from local manufacturers	0.2	0.905	0.05
Buying traditional and regional products in other places*	1.52	1	0.13

* Analyses performed with Fisher’s adjustment. Source: own elaboration.

.

The correlation between buying regional and traditional products in regional markets and age was on the level of a statistical trend. Cramer’s V measure demonstrated the existence of a correlation that corresponded to a small effect. In order to prepare more detailed characteristics of the correlation between variables, the frequency analysis presented in Table 9 was conducted. The other correlations proved to be statistically insignificant (

Table 8. The correlation between age and buying traditional and regional products in regional fairgrounds.

		Not Applicable	Applicable
16–25	Population	18	8
	% of age	69.2	30.8
	% buying traditional and regional products in regional fairgrounds	38.3	17.4
	% of the total population of respondents	19.4	8.6
26–35	Population	12	18
	% of age	40	60
	% buying traditional and regional products in regional fairgrounds	25.5	39.1
	% of the total population of respondents	12.9	19.4
36–55	Population	17	20
	% of age	45.9	54.1
	% buying traditional and regional products in regional fairgrounds	36.2	43.5
	% of the total population of respondents	18.3	21.5

Source: own elaboration.

).

Respondents aged 16–25 declared that they bought traditional and regional products in regional fairgrounds much less often that the other respondents. Most of the participants in this age group responded that they did not purchase regional products in these markets.

In the other age groups, a little more than 50% of the respondents chose the answer that they bought traditional and regional products in regional markets.

Pearson’s Chi² analyses were also performed in order to verify the correlation between the place of residence and the motivation to buy regional products. Due to the size of the table, continuity adjustment was applied to all the analyses, and the effect size was calculated based on Phi (

Table 9. The correlation between the place of residence and the motivation to buy regional products.

The Motivation to Buy Regional Products	Place of Residence
	χ2	p	φ
Buying regional products because of their price	4.1	0.043	0.26
Buying regional products because of their quality	0.11	0.739	0.06
Buying regional products out of curiosity	0.22	0.640	0.07
Buying regional products because of their taste	0.24	0.626	0.07
Buying regional products because of their smell	0	1	0.01
Buying regional products based on the belief that they are healthier	1.06	0.303	0.12
Buying regional products because of other reasons	0.28	0.600	0.12

Source: own elaboration.

).

Once again, nearly all correlations turned out to be statistically insignificant. The only exception was the correlation between the place of residence and buying regional products because of their price. This correlation was statistically significant. Both respondents who lived in cities and country dwellers usually declared that they did not buy regional products because of their price.

4.5. The Correlation between the Household Size and the Motivation to Buy Regional Products

At the next stage of research, the authors decided to check whether there was any correlation between the size of the household and the motivation to purchase regional products. The correlations were verified with Pearson’s Chi² test, and their size was determined based on the sCramer’s V measure. The results are presented in

Table 10. The correlation between the household size and the motivation to buy regional products.

The Motivation to Buy Regional Products	The Household Size
	χ2	p	V
Buying regional products because of their price*	5.21	0.047	0.27
Buying regional products because of their quality	0.59	0.715	0.08
Buying regional products out of curiosity	3.19	0.207	0.18
Buying regional products because of their taste*	1.15	0.487	0.13
Buying regional products because of their smell*	3.21	0.223	0.18
Buying regional products based on the belief that they are healthier	0.25	0.928	0.05
Buying regional products because of other reasons*	0.54	1	0.08

* Analyses performed with Fisher’s adjustment Source: own elaborator.

.

Here, again, only one correlation proved to be statistically significant: the correlation between the household size and buying regional products because of their price. As in the previous examples, the effect of the correlation between variables was small. None of the respondents who lived in households composed of 1–2 persons declared that they bought regional products because of their price. Most of the participants from other groups also declared that they did not purchase these products because of their price. The only exceptions included one person from a household with 3–4 members and two respondents from households larger than five persons.

In spite of the small differences between groups from medium and large households in the frequency distribution, the percentage of respondents from large households who were willing to admit that they purchased regional products because of their price was decidedly higher than in other groups.

5. Discussion

In this study, the potential of gastronomy tourism was evaluated with respect to the certificate issued by the European Union for the traditional and regional products in Trabzon and Podhale regions.

In general, the first traditional and regional product that comes to mind when it comes to Trabzon is “Tonya butter.” This answer is followed by “Vakfıkebir bread,” “Kulek cheese,” “Akçaabat meatballs,” and “Kuymak.” Other than the traditional regional product “Kuymak,” no other products are certified by the European Union. It is thought that the obtained results will contribute to the gastronomic tourism of Trabzon. The research demonstrated that people of the same age pay attention to similar markings of regional products in the analyzed regions of Poland and Turkey. Certain correlations between gender and the way of distinguishing regional products were found. As far as women were concerned, the difference between declarations about not distinguishing regional products based on “own knowledge” and not doing so was smaller than in men. This means that men rely on their own knowledge when choosing regional products less often than women.

The authors analyzed whether people from different age groups had specific habits concerning the place of purchasing regional products in the analyzed regions of Poland and Turkey. It was determined that it was so. The study revealed that respondents aged 16–25 declared that they bought traditional and regional products in regional fairgrounds much less often than the other respondents. Most of the participants in this age group responded that they did not purchase regional products in these markets. This means that offering regional products to young people should use different channels. Unfortunately, it was quite difficult to determine statistically significant motivations to buy regional products in terms of the place of residence of the respondents. Both respondents who lived in cities and country dwellers usually declared that they did not buy regional products because of their price. Only three city inhabitants mentioned price as their motivation to buy such products.

Is the motivation to buy regional products the same in households with a larger and smaller number of residents? It was found that only one correlation proved to be statistically significant: the correlation between the household size and buying regional products because of their price.

As far as regional products are concerned, Podhale is identified with oscypek and bundz (sheep milk cheeses).

The research confirmed hypothesis 1: i.e., that the motivations of tourists to purchase regional products are similar in both analyzed regions in Poland and Turkey. The research results demonstrate that the most frequent motivation for purchasing the analyzed products was taste (46% of the answers in Trabzon and as many as 72% in Poland), followed by quality, in both analysed regions of Turkey and Poland.

In the opinion of the respondents, the price of the product is a significant barrier in purchasing regional products, because it was listed first or second by respondents both in the Trabzon and Podhale regions. In Trabzon, it was the most often selected answer, while difficult access ranked second. In Podhale, the results were similar, although difficult access was first, followed by price. The majority of answers listed price and difficult access as barriers in purchasing regional products, which confirms hypothesis 2, i.e., that the price and lack of access to regional products are the main barriers preventing tourists from purchasing them, regardless of the analyzed region, both in Poland and Turkey.

6. Conclusions

Preserving local flavors and transferring them to future generations is one of the greatest influences of gastronomic tourism. Gastronomy tourism helps sustainable tourism concepts, preservation and the development of local products.

It has been determined that urban geography, climate, natural charm, and richness are directly reflected in local cuisine. In order to preserve gastronomic values, first, an inventory of Trabzon regional dishes should be prepared, and prescriptions should be prepared and included in the menus of local restaurants and hospitality establishments, thus contributing to the economy of regional cuisine and the transfer to future generations. In this context, the sustainability of these values will be achieved by transferring cultural and natural values to future generations. This will also contribute to the development of the local economy and enhance the attractiveness of the region with the introduction of cultural tastes.

The conducted research confirmed research hypotheses H1, which concerned barriers to purchasing regional products in which the respondents considered to be price and difficult access, and H2 concerned the motivations for purchase, which were taste and quality. The analysis revealed various aspects of the functioning of regional products in trade and identified the barriers, motivations and places of purchasing such products. The results constitute the basis for conclusions and recommendations for local authorities and bodies that are responsible for agricultural policy and the protection of cultural heritage in the analyzed countries. The main conclusions from the conducted research are as follows:

• The authorities should attempt to order a certification system of regional products in Turkey. A certificate is a kind of confirmation and guarantee of authenticity of the product (ingredients, manufacturing methods).
• Regional products are recognized by a vast majority of tourists who visit the regions of Podhale and Trabzon. This should be used to create additional tourist attractions (routes, roads, distribution points) addressed to various age groups.
• The labelling of regional products is a very important element facilitating the recognition of products that have the relevant certificate. Thus, properly designated and standardised markings (labels) are essential.
• The main barriers in purchasing regional products are their price and difficulty regarding their accessibility. Authorities should develop a strategy to improve the availability for the products in co-operation with local manufacturers and ensure their proper promotion.