Culinary events in the Slovenian countryside: Visitors’ motives, satisfaction, and views on sustainability

Maja Topole; Primož Pipan; Primož Gašperič; Matjaž Geršič; Peter Kumer

doi:10.3986/AGS.7617

Authors

Maja Topole Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Anton Melik Geographical Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1007-2289
Primož Pipan Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Anton Melik Geographical Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2707-618X
Primož Gašperič Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Anton Melik Geographical Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6736-1308
Matjaž Geršič Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Anton Melik Geographical Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9640-6037
Peter Kumer Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, Ljubljana, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5923-9823

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.7617

Keywords:

culinary tourism, gastronomy, cultural heritage, sustainable destination, geography of food, Karst Plateau gastronomic region

Abstract

This paper focuses on five culinary events on Slovenia’s Karst Plateau (Kras). It presents visitors’ motives for attending these events, their satisfaction with them, and their views on sustainability. These traditional culinary events, which take place in the same gastronomic region, differ in their scale, theme, character, and history. A survey was conducted among 244 visitors, approximately 50% of whom had a university degree. The most important motives for their visit include local cuisine; experiencing something new, different, or special; and exploring natural heritage and especially cultural heritage. Visitor satisfaction is the greatest at boutique culinary events, where the main theme is highlighted more strongly than at large-scale culinary events. The main challenge in terms of the sustainability of culinary events is public transport access to the venues. Significant progress would be made by reducing the amount of disposable packaging made from non-sustainable materials. The key to successful culinary events is high-quality services and ingredients, where the word local is key.

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