Guided Gastronomy Experiences in Digitalized Tourism: Withlocals Case

Year 2025, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 21 - 40, 20.06.2025

Ceyhun Can Özcan , Meral İş

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15700539

Abstract

In recent years, with digitalization, interest in authentic experiences in cultural tourism has increased, and platforms such as Withlocals have started to offer unique and personalized services with local guides. The aim of this research is to examine the services offered on the Withlocals platform, which offers digital guidance services through local guides, and to analyze the content and scope of these services, especially within the scope of gastronomy tours. In the study, six cities in Türkiye (İstanbul, İzmir, Antalya, Bursa and Nevşehir) where the platform actively operates were analyzed and how the guidance services offered on the platform were structured in terms of gastronomic elements was examined through content analysis. The findings revealed that a total of 48 gastronomic experiences were offered through the Withlocals platform in the cities analyzed. It was also found that food tours and cooking classes were among the prominent categories in the platform's search criteria, and seven of these experiences directly aimed to introduce the unique food and beverage cultures of the cities. These findings show that the platform offers thematic diversity in the field of gastronomy-oriented digital guidance and has a significant potential for the digital transmission of local culinary cultures.

Keywords

Gastronomy, Guidance, Gastronomic Experience, Withlocals

Ethical Statement

This research does not require an ethics committee permission.

Dijitalleşen Turizmde Rehberlik Temelli Gastronomi Deneyimleri: Withlocals Örneği

Abstract

Son yıllarda dijitalleşmeyle birlikte kültürel turizmde otantik deneyimlere ilgi artmış, Withlocals gibi platformlar yerel rehberlerle özgün ve kişiselleştirilmiş hizmetler sunmaya başlamıştır. Bu araştırmanın amacı, yerel rehberler aracılığıyla dijital rehberlik hizmeti sunan Withlocals platformunda sunulan hizmetlerin incelenmesi ve özellikle gastronomi turları kapsamında sunulan bu hizmetlerin içerik ve kapsamının analiz edilmesidir. Çalışmada, Türkiye'de platformun aktif olarak faaliyet gösterdiği altı şehir (İstanbul, İzmir, Antalya, Bursa, Muğla ve Nevşehir) incelenmiş; içerik analizi ile platformda sunulan rehberlik hizmetlerinin gastronomik unsurlar açısından nasıl yapılandırıldığı incelenmiştir. Bulgular, incelenen şehirlerde Withlocals platformu aracılığıyla toplam 48 gastronomik deneyim sunulduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca yemek turları ve yemek pişirme derslerinin, platformun arama kriterleri içinde ön plana çıkan kategoriler arasında yer aldığı; bu deneyimlerden yedisinin doğrudan şehirlerin özgün yiyecek ve içecek kültürlerini tanıtmayı hedeflediği belirlenmiştir. Bu bulgular, platformun gastronomi odaklı dijital rehberlik alanında tematik çeşitlilik sunduğunu ve yerel mutfak kültürlerinin dijital ortamda aktarımına yönelik önemli bir potansiyel taşıdığını göstermektedir.

Keywords

Gastronomi, Rehberlik, Gastronomik Deneyim, Withlocals

Ethical Statement

Bu araştırma etik kurul izni gerektirmemektedir.

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