Food tourism: Authenticity and local development in rural areas

Food tourism has now become one of the most important specialised tourism niches. Tourism is gaining ground on traditional agricultural and livestock activities in the sphere of rural tourism. Local gastronomy reflects the integration of both the natural and cultural features of a destination. However, the authenticity of each region must deal with an increasingly fierce globalisation capable of bringing cuisine and forms of consumption from one to another side of the world. Culinary heritage must act as a source of local development by combining the efforts of economic sectors and combating seasonality in tourism demand. A balance must be sought to ensure that residents and tourists can live sustainably in a space.