Good practice:

The case of the KOUZINA program in the Municipality of Aristoteli Chalkidikis

The KOUZINA program is an annual gastronomic festival that takes place towards the end of spring and beginning of summer. It always lasts one month and it includes a series of gastronomic events that represent the national and local culture. The festival focuses on local tradition, products and recipes and it is a vehicle for honouring the local land and the gifts it offers. The gastronomic approach includes marrying local tradition with modern gourmet creations, while using always local organic produce.
Stakeholders of the KOUZINA program include housewives, members of women's associations, fishermen, producers, growers, farm owners, restaurateurs, chefs, hoteliers and many more. Outside Aristoteli national and regional authorities have a stake in the success of this local initiative, as it can positively contribute to the national and regional economy. Foreign visitors are also the beneficiaries of this initiative since they are the consumers and receivers of the offered services, experiences, and products.

The resources are defined by the actors that are involved in the KOUZINA program and these include local tourist-related businesses and local residents. In these sense, there are a lot of business resources, as well as human resources that are involved in this project.

Gastronomic tourism is an emerging phenomenon. As such, the cuisine of a tourist destination is an aspect of utmost importance in the quality of the holiday experience, as well as the local economy of the visited place.
In 2019 alone, the KOUZINA festival included 32 main events and 180 parallel activities.

Food-based events and festivals are being increasingly organized around the world with the aim of attracting the multiple benefits they provide to the destinations where they are held. Communication material regarding the KOUZINA program can be found on the official website of MAAO.