The World Tourism Organization, its UNWTO.Themis Foundation, The Secretariat of Tourism of Mexico, its Higher Studies in Tourism Centre of Mexico and the Secretary of Tourism of Baja California brought the UNWTO Regional Capacity Building Course in Mexico “Gastronomy as a tool for tourism competitiveness” to a close on Friday 11^th October 2013, in Playas de Rosarito, Baja California.

The objective of this course was to provide the knowledge, skills, tools and a forum for discussion and reflection on the various communication tools and strategies so that, at the end of the course, participants can design, plan and manage the opportunity that provides food tourism in the global strategy of their tourism destination.

This UNWTO.Capacity event included various presentations, group work and field work, facilitated by Iñaki Gaztelumendi, specialist on the topic, as well as on tourism planning, marketing, tourism destination management y and tourism social and sustainable development.

The course was attended by 20 officials from Tourism National, Regional and Local Administrations and academia from Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico, who had an active and participatory role. As part of their learning process, they presented a strategic proposal for the use of gastronomy in the competitive and sustainable development of the tourism destination for Ensenada, Playas de Rosarito, Tecate, Tijuana and Valle de Guadalupe.