{"id":10859,"date":"2019-07-30T14:50:03","date_gmt":"2019-07-30T12:50:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/the-slovenia.com\/?p=10859"},"modified":"2020-04-08T10:36:01","modified_gmt":"2020-04-08T08:36:01","slug":"ales-gacnik-an-expert-in-wine-culinary-and-gastronomy-tourism-and-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/the-slovenia.com\/en\/gastronomy\/ales-gacnik-an-expert-in-wine-culinary-and-gastronomy-tourism-and-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Ale\u0161 Ga\u010dnik – an expert in wine, culinary and gastronomy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Professor at the Faculty of Tourism Studies Turistica<\/h2>\n

Ale\u0161 Ga\u010dnik is a doctor of ethnological sciences and sociologist of culture, as well as an expert in wine, culinary and gastronomy tourism and culture.<\/p>\n

He is a professor at the University of Primorska, Faculty of Tourism Studies Turistica<\/a>, and is also the head of the Centre for Gastronomy and Wine Culture. In addition to being the author of many onographs and scientific articles published both in Slovenia and internationally.<\/p>\n

Are there any wine-related courses at your Faculty?<\/strong>
\nOf course! At Turistica students are taught about the culture of wine and wine tourism within several subjects, including Gastronomy Tourism, Culinary Culture, Culture of Food and Culinary Tourism within the doctoral study programme Innovative Tourism. Additionally, there are annual specialised gastronomy study tours in various gastronomic regions, especially in Slovenia, as well as participation in numerous wine events and festivals.\u00a0I\u2019ve also noticed a growing interest in wine, culinary and gastronomy tourism within the context of graduate, master and doctoral theses.<\/p>\n

How big of a role does wine tourism play in Slovenia<\/strong>
\nFor now, too small! We have many excellent winemakers who receive the highest awards at the most important international competitions, but wine is one thing and wine tourism is another. In Slovenia, we can talk about different stages of development of wine tourism in individual winegrowing regions, among which is the Primorska wine-growing region, headed by the wine growing district of Gori\u0161ka Brda. To put it simply, we can say that the alphabet of wine tourism in the context of all the wine-growing regions of Slovenia is still being taught. We lack the boldness, creativity and innovation that should be based on the richness of our wine (and culinary) heritage. But things are changing rapidly. In the area of wine and culinary events, we are surely a \u201cEuropean superpower\u201d, but in the field of infrastructure investments and the organisation of wine tourism, much will have to be done. What we currently lack the most and what we have been trying for many years to achieve, is an overall strategy of development of wine tourism.<\/p>\n

\"\"

To find out other unique places in Slovenia and features the very best in Slovenian dining, chefs and restaurants all over Slovenia, check out our THE SLOVENIA RESTAURANTS BOOK\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

https:\/\/the-slovenia.com\/product\/the-slovenia-restaurants-top-163\/<\/p>\n

As a destination for wine tourism, what can Slovenia learn<\/strong>
\nfrom more established regions?<\/strong>
\nFrom them we can learn how to think about wine tourism in the first row! How to respect its differentiation and uniqueness, how to integrate the heritage of viticulture and winemaking with modern technologies, art and expectations, creativity and innovation in the organisation, marketing and promotion of wine tourism. We can learn from them that wine tourism is not only the domain of small, boutique wine cellars, but also large ones, which together form the offer of a wine tourism destination. We can also learn from examples for the creation of modern wine museums or interpretational centres, which represent important cultural attractions of the destination. Wine tourism in these wine-growing regions is not only a generator of tourism but of integrated, sustainable regional development.<\/p>\n

And what can Slovenia offer that these other regions can\u2019t?<\/strong>
\nFirst of all we must know how to offer our \u201cculturological terroir\u201d! From the point of view of international promotion and communication of Slovenia as a wine tourist destination, it is most important that we respect and know our own identity, in the context of European wine culture. Our diversity and uniqueness is marked with our heritage and culture, wine-growing landscape, with hospitality, and must be marked by our creativity and innovation, since wine tourism is a global phenomenon that is marketed locally.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n