Spain to Host 8th Annual UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomic Tourism

The event will be held in Donostia-San Sebastian from October 5 to October 7.

The 8th edition of the World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism will place an emphasis on how tourism can help with rural revitalization, economic stability, and cultural preservation.

The Forum will highlight the ties between merchandise, gastronomy, and tourism under the topic "Gastronomy Tourism: Back to the roots."

Over the course of three days, both local and worldwide chefs and suppliers will showcase their wares while engaging in lively dialogues with industry professionals, renowned experts, as well as officials.

Many of the most influential people in the worlds of gastronomy and tourism will be in attendance, including Qu Dongyu, the General Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Paolo Di Croce, the Director General of Slow Food (Italy); Célia Tunc, the Secretary General of the French Culinary Institute; Fatmata Binta, the winner of the Best Chef World Prize 2022.

In addition, the forum participants can select from five distinct experiences to take in the local cuisine: "Rioja Alavesa, excellence in wine tourism," "Rural flavours of the Basque Country and the Idiazabal territory," "Urola Kosta: fishing villages, landscapes, and dream flavours," "A sea of mountains, Gorbeialdea, and Arratia Valley," and "Bizkaia - Urdaibai coast."

In addition to celebrating 10 years since the Mediterranean diet was included to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, this edition will highlight the importance of conserving culinary traditions.

Azerbaijan, Botswana, Porto (Portugal), Saudi Arabia, and Zimbabwe will all have dishes represented at the side event "Culinary Plaza," which is being put on by the Basque Culinary Center. Tabakalera will serve as the Forum's venue, making it easily accessible to locals in and around Donostia-San Sebastián.

Alongside Culinary Action!, the UNWTO Gastronomy Pitch Challenge will take place within the guidelines of the Forum, where the winners of the UNWTO Startup Competitions will present their technologically-driven, novel ideas and solutions for food tourism.

The Forum will take place in a combination of in-person and online settings to better accommodate and connect its international participants.

Promoting Long-Term Sustainability

Seminars at this year's Forum will focus on further initiatives to reduce food waste, promote circularity, and battle climate change within the gastronomic tourist industry.

Various eco-friendly methods will be highlighted, such as those that lessen our environmental impact, support regional agriculture, and use circular economy principles.

Since 2015, UNWTO and the Basque Culinary Center have collaborated to host this annual forum, which aims to encourage the sharing of knowledge between tourism and culinary professionals, highlight effective strategies, and promote gastronomy tourism as a means to achieve sustainable growth.

The 8th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomic Tourism is currently accepting online registrations from industry professionals.

 

Source: breakingtravelnews.com