Currently, most tourist destinations in the world are establishing
strategies to develop the culinary identity of their territories and to
promote local cuisine, based on the fact that gastronomy can have a great
influence on the decisions of tourists in choosing tourist destinations.
Therefore, the gastronomic specificity of a destination can attract
tourists interested in authenticity, specificity and new experiences from a
gastronomic point of view. The gastronomic businesses are some of the most
successful businesses, and this is due to a constant demand, which is based
on ensuring the need for food. In Romania, the concept of local gastronomic
point was recently introduced. The purpose of the local gastronomic points
is the integration of gastronomy and tourism in order to support the local
economy. The local gastronomic points can be seen as an invitation to
discover the local products, prepared in the Romanian rural kitchens. The
local gastronomic points meet the gourmets, the people interested in
gastronomic experiences, eager to know and enjoy the specific dishes of the
local cuisine, the traditions and customs of the locals, the culture of
food preparation. The gastronomic heritage on the Romanian territory is
rich and varied, and represents an element of the Romanian cultural
identity. Gastronomy, as part of the national cultural profile can be an
engine in the development of the local economy, through local gastronomic
points, and involves the practice of gastronomic tourism. In this article,
the authors aim to present the current situation of local gastronomic
points in Romania and their importance in the development of gastronomic
tourism.