Gastronomy Tourism takes center stage in the Agenda for Africa

Co-organized with the Basque Culinary Center, the event celebrated the continent’s culinary richness and represented a strong step towards stronger cooperation among tourism and gastronomy stakeholders – producers, chefs, entrepreneurs, tour operators and ministries of tourism.

The Forum was officially opened by His Excellency Dr. Philip Isdor Mpango, Vice-President of the United Republic of Tanzania, underscoring the political commitment to advance gastronomy tourism in the country. In his address, he called for greater visibility of African diverse food cultures, stronger regional branding, enhanced collaboration with local producers, and more sustainable practices, highlighting the sector’s potential to drive tourism, strengthen food systems, empower women and promote the consumption of healthy foods across the continent.

This year’s edition also welcomed Her Excellency Dr. Auxillia C. Mnangagwa, First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, under whose patronage the inaugural regional edition of the Forum for Africa was held last year. Her leadership has been instrumental in advancing African gastronomy on the global stage.

Opening the event, UN Tourism Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili praised Tanzania for having placed gastronomy tourism high on its agenda for economic growth, culture preservation and community development. He said: “Tourism is a powerful tool for development, and gastronomy brings us even closer to communities. Africa’s culinary heritage is a key asset - one that can generate jobs, support rural development, and strengthen the continent’s global identity.”

Bringing together over 400 participants from 30 countries, the Forum discussions focused on policy frameworks with the participation of the Ministers of Tourism of Tanzania, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Deputy Minister of South Africa, as well as the FAO Representative in Tanzania.

Education and skills, national targeted strategies, communication and product development emerged as main priorities to advance the agenda of gastronomy tourism in Africa. To advance this, the Secretary-General announced that 100 scholarships will be made available to students from Africa to benefit from the UN Tourism Online Academy. The scholarships will help strengthen the capacities of national tourism professionals in the field of gastronomy and culinary arts.

On the occasion, UN Tourism and Chefs in Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The partnership will focus on advocacy, promotion and skills to strengthen gastronomy tourism across the continent.

The Forum further underscored the need to strengthen local food ecosystems by engaging with producers, safeguarding culinary heritage through the promotion and use of native crops, documentation of products, processes and traditional recipes, and more sustainable food systems.

Participants also emphasized the need to elevate the regional and global image of African cuisine, highlighting the role of food festivals, cultural events, and storytelling in showcasing the continent’s culinary identity and reshaping perceptions worldwide.

Building on its continued success, the Regional Forum – part of UN Tourism Agenda for Africa -  is consolidating as a strategic platform gastronomy tourism in the region placing the issue higher on the tourism agenda. The Forum will return for a third edition, to be held in Sierra Leone.