FOOD TOURISM. UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili (4th from left) hails the Philippines’ hosting of the first Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific which began Wednesday (June 26, 2024) at Shangri-La Mactan in Cebu. The United Nations Tourism has issued the Cebu Call to Action, moving forward the agenda of a resilient food tourism in the Asia Pacific. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)
MANILA – The United Nations Tourism has issued the Cebu Call to Action, moving forward the agenda of a resilient food tourism in the Asia Pacific.
The outcome document was endorsed by the agency during the first UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism in Asia and the Pacific at Shangri-La Mactan on June 26, providing the region a “common vision” toward the future of gastronomy as a way to attract travelers into a country, and in turn, bring sustainable socio-economic benefits to its people.
It urges both public and private sector leaders to develop strategies at all levels to integrate gastronomy tourism into policy and implementation. It also calls for the creation of governance mechanisms to link stakeholders.
UN Tourism Market Intelligence, Policies, and Competitiveness Director Sandra Carvao presented the document, listing the 12 following points of actions for its member states to implement:
-Develop comprehensive strategies at national, regional, and local levels to integrate gastronomy tourism into policy formulation and practice
-Create governance mechanisms
-Foster cooperation across sectors such as agriculture and culture
-Support small businesses to enhance their market position
-Empower local communities by investing in skills development
-Promote culinary identity
-Create added value experiences and diversify tourism offerings
-Recognize the role of rural landscapes
-Encourage local sourcing
-Implement circular solutions
-Advance education and innovation
-Advocate for sustainable practices
“The call for action is not obviously the end, it is the beginning and we hope that it is an inspiration so that more and more destinations and more stakeholders work together in advancing gastronomy tourism for people and planet, and to foster inclusion and sustainability,” Carvao said.
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During the ministerial dialogue, Carvao said gastronomy is fast becoming a “motivation” for people when considering travel.
Citing the American Express Travel’s 2023 Global Travel Trends Report, she said 81 percent of travelers “agree that trying local food is the part of travel that they look forward to the most” and that 37 percent said they would “choose a destination because they want to visit a specific restaurant”.
“So, restaurants themselves or gastronomy experience has become an asset for tourism, has become a decision factor for tourism. This is really what we need to address and use gastronomy tourism as an added value,” she said.
In one of the forum sessions, Hong Kong-based chef Vicky Cheng of VEA Restaurant said the success of a gastronomy tourism campaign indeed bank on the promotion of culinary authenticity and ingredients only found in a certain destination.
“In French cuisine, what is truffles and caviar is actually our dried abalone and sea cucumber in Chinese cuisine,” he said.
The inaugural UN gastronomy forum gathered more than 400 local and foreign delegates from over 40 countries.
The event was co-organized by UN Tourism and the Basque Culinary Centre (BCC) and hosted by the Department of Tourism.
“Food is at the heart of every tourist experience, and gastronomy tourism delivers many social and economic benefits," UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said.
"For it to deliver on its potential, we need to create well-defined gastronomy tourism policies and strategies that bring together all stakeholders with a common vision and mission, as exemplified by this first regional Forum,” he said. (PNA)
