Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 25 ISSUE 3
Written by Alina MARCUTA, Liviu MARCUTA, Mariana PREDA (ALEXE), Cristiana TINDECHE, Cosmina SMEDESCU, Dragos SMEDESCU, Liliana MORARIU (RUSU)

This research aims to analyze how social networks contribute to the promotion of local gastronomy in the context of contemporary Romanian tourism. In a period when tourists are no longer looking for just destinations, but authentic and culturally relevant experiences, gastronomy is becoming a central element in the process of selecting and valorizing the places visited. Social networks play an increasingly important role in this process, providing not only inspiration, but also direct influence in decision-making regarding culinary and tourist consumption. A quantitative methodology, implemented through the use of a structured questionnaire, was employed to support the analytical approach. Its goal was to record the respondents' sociodemographic traits as well as their attitudes and behaviors regarding food consumption in tourist settings and the impact of social networks. The research instrument was applied online and was completed by a number of 137 people. The results obtained show that the vast majority of respondents prefer authentic traditional food during the holidays and appreciate local restaurants, agrotourism guesthouses and regional street food. Regarding the digital environment, Booking, Facebook, Instagram and Tripadvisor are the most frequently used platforms for tourist inspiration, and the types of content considered to have the greatest impact are stories about local producers and reviews from other tourists. Over 78% of respondents say that they have chosen a restaurant or guesthouse based on the visual or narrative content found on social networks, which confirms the direct influence of the digital environment on tourist consumption behavior. The conclusions led us to the idea that the research conducted confirms that social networks represent an essential channel in promoting local gastronomy, not only from a commercial perspective, but also as a vector of cultural identity. The consumer public is increasingly attracted to authenticity, stories, the relationship between the product and the place of origin, and social networks facilitate precisely this closeness. From this perspective, tourist communication must be strategically rethought, so as to combine visual professionalism with narrative sincerity, and local gastronomy becomes an integral part of the image and attractiveness of each destination.

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