Correia, RicardoCarvalho, AidaTroca, Armando2021-12-172021-12-172020Correia, Ricardo; Carvalho, Aida; Troca, Armando (2020). The potential of gastronomic tourism in the portuguese municipality of Mirandela. In ICABM International Conference of Applied Business and Management. p. 333-343. ISBN 978-989-54164-2-42184-7428http://hdl.handle.net/10198/24521The gastronomic heritage of a territory can be a valuable differentiator element for its tourist offer. In this context, it was considered important to survey the main gastronomic references of one of Portugal's most gastronomically iconic municipalities: Mirandela, which however has a reduced hotel capacity. The other central objective of this study is related to the evaluation of two large groups (the local inhabitants and other stakeholders with a closer connection to consumer) about the perceptions related to the enhancement of the gastronomic heritage of Mirandela municipality. Methodology: A qualitative methodology was adopted, which, due to its specificity, can configure a case study. The technique of collecting information relied on semi-structured interviews, to the local inhabitants (9 interviews) and to several stakeholders with knowledge about the needs and interests of the tourist demand related with gastronomy (10 interviews). Findings: The position of the inhabitants, who argue that the methods and techniques of the old days should be practically unchanged, under penalty of distorting the quality and authenticity, was identified as the main divergence between the 2 groups. Indeed the remaining respondents, namely chefs, argue that it is essential to innovate methods and techniques for the benefit of that same quality, with the potential offered by new concepts (eg. the evolution in the seasoning of the “sufficiently” concept for the accuracy of the measurement) and the use of new support instruments (eg. probes for temperature control) as a product enhancement, but always respecting its authenticity. In terms of convergence, it was consensual to recognize the importance of imparting knowledge to young people, from the outset with inclusion in school curricula, in raising awareness of the importance of products and recipes as integral parts of local history and in the transmission of knowledge through practice at school, in “workshops”, interpretive centres or community spaces. Originality/value: Although the municipality of Mirandela has important gastronomic references, where alheira (a traditional smoked sausage famous all around Portugal) and olive oil stand out, there were no studies that characterized this heritage. Simultaneously the perception of the residents and other stockholders (more focused on consumption) about the best way to enhance this gastronomic heritage was never studied. This study managed to confront these two perspectives generating important insights for territorial managers. Practical implications: We recognize that the characteristics of the intangible heritage are inducers of the possibility of developing attractive tourist experiences, in terms of gastronomic and cultural tourism, boosted by the appetite of the tourist markets for this segment, considered as the one with the greatest growth in the tourism industry as a whole. It will be essential that the territorial managers are able to align the visions of the local inhabitants with the needs and expectations of the tourists. In fact, at the same time that the locals are the guardians of the heritage, they should also be able to enhance this heritage, adding value compatible with the demand and tourist expectations.engTourismGastronomic tourismMirandelaExperiencesLocalsconference object