Gastronomy and the contribution to the sustainable development of tourism in the Serra da Estrela Region: the case of the Museu do Pão

Abstract

Tourism can enhance regions with relevant endogenous resources where gastronomy can assert itself as a strategic product due to its contribution to the tourism experience. The present research focused on the relevance of gastronomy to the development of tourism in the Serra da Estrela region, for which a qualitative analysis was carried out based on a case study - the Museu do Pão museum complex - through semi-structured interviews with the directors of the Museu do Pão (Bread Museum) and the Municipality of Seia, in accordance with the literature and articulated with the research question and objectives. As a result, it was found that gastronomy makes a strong contribution to the sustainable development of the territory under study, with the Museu do Pão playing a central role in this process. This suggests that the valorisation of this asset in Serra da Estrela has an analogous function to other regions with similar characteristics.