UNWTO Completes Gastronomy Tourism Project for Ubud, Indonesia

• Asia and the Pacific
• 12 Dec 2023

UNWTO has concluded the Gastronomy Tourism Project, designed to make Ubud, Indonesia, a global hub of sustainable gastronomy tourism. Within the framework of Indonesia’s annual Tourism National Coordinative Meeting, the project’s final report was presented to the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, and to the Gianyar Regional Government.

The UNWTO Gastronomy Tourism Product Development Project in Ubud was developed with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy with the aim of growing gastronomy tourism as a pillar of cultural and gastronomic heritage and boost the local economy, create jobs and drive sustainable and inclusive development. Launched in 2018, it was put on hold during the pandemic, returning at the start of this year. The project was divided into three phases:

• Phase 1: Analysis and diagnosis: inventory and evaluation of gastronomy resources, analysis of demand indicators, market study, online positioning and influencers in gastronomy tourism
• Phase 2: Technical design: conformation of the development of the Gastronomy Tourism experience in Ubud, including governance, communication and positioning models
• Phase 3: Development of the business plan: definition of indicators for measuring the impact and the outcomes of the project, design and format of the gastronomy experiences, business model and a communication plan for key source markets

As part of the project final visit, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy will host a workshop for local stakeholders from both the public and private sectors in Ubud to discuss the outcomes of the project. The workshop will welcome participants from regional and local Destination Management Organizations, as well as representatives of gastronomy-related businesses and academia, to discuss an action plan and the way forward to turn Ubud into a global hub of sustainable and authentic community-based gastronomic experiences. The workshop will also focus on the next steps, such as the creation of a Gastronomy Tourism Club to support a structured governance model.

Related links:

• Download the News Release on PDF
• UNWTO Gastronomy and Wine Tourism

UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism in La Rioja, Spain: Forging the Future of Sustainable Wine Tourism

• All Regions
• 3 Nov 2023

With a strong focus on the future of wine tourism, the 7th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism will be held in La Rioja, Spain (22-24 November 2023), one of the world’s leading wine regions. This event will gather diverse industry players around data, governance, innovation, sustainability, and skills.

Co-organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Government of La Rioja and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism of Spain, the Conference will emphasize the pivotal role of this sector in promoting rural development, sustainable practices, and regional regeneration.

Innovation: Bridging Tradition and Technology

Against the backdrop of a landscape where tradition converges with technology, the Conference will shine a light on the seamless integration of wine tourism with the evolving preferences of tourists. The programme will address innovative digital tools and the exploration of new strategies to amplify outreach via social media platforms, reaching larger audiences and increasing visitor flow.

Skills: Cultivating Excellence in Wine Tourism

The Conference will underscore the importance of identifying and fostering skills development to enhance expertise, knowledge, and service quality, as a precursor to crafting a vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive wine tourism industry.

Data: Guiding the Future

Data can play a significant role in shaping wine tourism. Attendees will explore the mapping of existing metrics and methodologies to quantify wine tourism to create common frameworks.

Governance: Crafting Partnerships for Growth

The complex network of stakeholders in wine tourism requires adapted governance, including the significance of fostering public-private collaboration. The Conference will spotlight community engagement and coordination, both at local and national levels, as essential drivers for the sector's sustainable growth.

Nurturing Sustainability and Rural Development for a more Inclusive Tomorrow

Sustainability is at the heart of wine tourism's future. Destination managers and experts will showcase sustainable practices that embrace the principles of the circular economy. The Conference will also address the pivotal role of wine tourism in supporting rural development, revitalizing overlooked regions, tackling demographic challenges, and nurturing entrepreneurship for rural growth.

In the midst of the famous wine tourism hub of Barrio de la Estación in the city of Haro, a series of masterclasses will offer attendees an immersive journey into the art of wine pairing across various domains. These sessions will explore the fusion of wine with gastronomy, art and culture, its synergies with communication, branding, technology, events, and sustainability, promising enlightening and enriching experiences.

To further enhance the experience, participants will also have the opportunity to discover the renowned Vivanco Museum, recognized for its pioneering role and unwavering commitment to safeguarding the rich wine culture.

Related links:

• Download the News Release on PDF
• 7th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism
• Gastronomy and Wine Tourism

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UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism Returns to Donostia – San Sebastián

• All Regions
• 12 Sep 2023

The World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism will return to Donostia-San Sebastian in Spain (5-7 October) to focus on how tourism can foster rural development, build economic resilience, and preserve cultural heritage.

Held under the theme 'Gastronomy Tourism: Back to the roots', the Forum will put the spotlight on the connections between product, gastronomy and tourism. Over three days, industry professionals, leading experts, and institutional representatives will engage in live debates, keynote speeches, hands-on workshops and live cooking demonstrations with local and international chefs and producers.

Top forum for sector leaders

The event will welcome many of the leading figures of global gastronomy and tourism, such as Qu Dongyu, General Director of FAO; Paolo Di Croce, Director General of Slow Food (Italy); Célia Tunc, Secretary General of Collège Culinaire de France; Fatmata Binta, winner of the BCWP 2022 and who will be appointed on the occasion UNWTO Ambassador for Responsible Tourism ; and confirmed speakers from Brazil, Croatia, Ecuador, France, Ghana, Italy, Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Spain and Switzerland.

Furthermore, forum attendees will have the opportunity to choose from five different excursions to experience and savor the local gastronomy: "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".

Underscoring the significance of preserving culinary traditions, this edition will also commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Mediterranean Diet's inclusion on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Additionally, the side-event "Culinary Plaza" organized by Basque Culinary Center will spotlight culinary specialties from destinations including Azerbaijan, Botswana, Porto (Portugal), Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe. Residents around Donostia-San Sebastián will be able to access the Forum's venue at Tabakalera.

In addition, within the framework of the Forum, a UNWTO Gastronomy Pitch Challenge will also be held alongside Culinary Action! (the entrepreneurship area of Basque Culinary Center), where selected finalists from UNWTO Startup Competitions will pitch their technology-driven innovative proposals and solutions for gastronomy tourism. In order to welcome and connect participants from around the world, the Forum will be held in a hybrid format.

Advancing sustainability

Building on the Global Roadmap on Food Waste Reduction in Tourism, launched during the previous edition of the Forum, this year's conversations will advance discussions on reducing food waste, promoting circularity, and combating climate change within gastronomy tourism. Sustainable practices, encompassing the reduction of carbon footprint, the promotion of seasonal and local produce, and the shift to circular economy models, will be showcased.

The Forum has been co-organized by UNWTO and the Basque Culinary Center since 2015 with the aim of promoting the exchange of experiences between experts in tourism and gastronomy, identify good practices and promote gastronomy tourism as a driver of sustainable development.

Professionals interested in attending the 8th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism can register online now.

The Forum's has been presented by Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General of the UNWTO; Joxe Mari Aizega, General Director of Basque Culinary Center; Félix De Paz García, Deputy Director General for Tourism Cooperation and Competitiveness of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism; Javier Hurtado, Minister of Tourism, Trade and Consumer Affairs of the Basque Government; and Azahara Domínguez, Deputy of Mobility, Tourism and Territorial Planning, Provincial Council of Guipuzkoa.

This year's Forum is organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Basque Culinary Center (BCC), with the support of the Basque Government, the Provincial Council of Guipuzkoa, the City Council of San Sebastián, and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism of Spain.

Related Links

• Download the News Release on PDF
• 8th UNWTO World Tourism Forum on Gastronomy Tourism
• Provisional Programme
• About the Forum

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UNWTO Gastronomy Tourism Forum Highlights Talent Development and Waste Reduction

• All Regions
• 15 Dec 2022

‘Gastronomy Tourism for People and Planet: Innovate, Empower and Preserve’ was the theme as national and international experts met in Nara for the 7th UNWTO Forum on Gastronomy Tourism.

Organized by UNWTO and the Basque Culinary Center (BCC), the Forum provides a platform to advance the contribution of gastronomy tourism to empower women and youth, and to support sustainability. This edition counted on the participation of more than 450 delegates from 30 countries alongside over 1,000 online participants from 125 countries over the two days of the event.

Opening the Forum, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “This year’s Forum represents a unique opportunity for experts to share their best practices and enhance the role of Gastronomy Tourism in talent, sustainability, innovation, and social inclusion, and highlight its importance for regional and rural development.”

Joxe Mari Aizega, General Manager of the Basque Culinary Center, added: “Gastronomy faces many challenges, but we also have many opportunities. It is a diverse and wide sector, a value chain that includes production, hospitality, tourism, and restaurants. It also integrates cultural, social, and economic dimensions. This forum addressed the complexity of the gastronomy tourism sector, and it also reflected its enormous potential.”

This year’s Forum represents a unique opportunity for experts to share their best practices and enhance the role of Gastronomy Tourism in talent, sustainability, innovation, and social inclusion, and highlight its importance for regional and rural development

The Governor of the Nara Prefecture Shogo Arai said: "I believe that what we discussed here is very important for sustainable development of global and regional societies. I am inspired by the exchanges of new ideas and insights that the Forum provided."

Tourism for youth and gender empowerment

To ensure that gastronomy tourism can serve as a leverage to promote women and youth empowerment, participants highlighted the need for providing better working conditions and engagement to attract and retain talent. Alongside this, the Forum also focused on the best ways of designing gastronomy tourism strategies and practices that ensure the sustainable use of resources, the promotion of local products and know-how, and on responsible consumption. 

Special emphasis was placed on the need to reduce food waste as a means to support a more sustainable global food system. On this occasion, UNWTO launched the public consultation for the Global Roadmap on Food Waste Reduction in Tourism, developed within the framework of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme, to enable consistent action and enhance circularity.

Businesses commit to ethical tourism

Nara was also the host of the 3rd UNWTO Global Gastronomy Startup Competition organized by UNWTO and BCC. Here, six talented entrepreneurs shared solutions for the challenges posed by the Sustainable Development Goals. Byfood from Japan was selected as the winner of a competition that also saw Local Food (Bulgaria), 2492IOneArmenia (Armenia), Tenemos Filo (Colombia), Beyondnext (Republic of Korea) and Soplaya (Italy) shared their innovative proposals.

In this framework, nine companies from Japan signed the Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism in presence of the UNWTO Secretary-General, the Vice-Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency, the Chief of the UNWTO Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific and the Governor of Nara Prefectural Government. 

The 2023 Forum will take place in Donostia-San Sebastian, in the Basque Country, Spain.  The farewell dinner offered by Basquetour and the Department of Tourism, Trade, and Consumer Affairs of the Basque Government brought Basque gastronomy to Nara by the hands of the Basque chefs Diego Guerrero (board member of Basque Culinary Center and DSTAgE Concept restaurant), Álvaro Garrido (Mina restaurant), and Gorka Txapartegi (Alameda Restaurant).

Related Links

• Download the News Release in PDF
• UNWTO Gastronomy Tourism
• 7th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism
• Global Roadmap on Food Waste Reduction in the Tourism Sector
• Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
• Basque Culinary Center

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UNWTO/Basque Culinary Center Forum Highlights Gastronomy Tourism as Driver of Rural Development

• All Regions, Europe
• 2 Nov 2021

Some of the world’s top chefs joined restaurateurs and local and regional leaders to advance gastronomy tourism as a driver of rural development and opportunity.

The 6th edition of the UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism, held in Bruges, Flanders (Belgium, 31 October to 2 November), focused on the sector’s unique ability to support rural businesses, create jobs and protect and promote culture and heritage. For the first time, the Forum, organized by UNWTO and the Basque Culinary Center (BCC) included a special session dedicated to African Gastronomy, recognizing its potential as a tool of socio-economic development and for helping destinations across the continent enhance their distinct branding and market themselves to new audiences. The session concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UNWTO and Chefs in Africa.   

Gastronomy tourism adds vitality to rural communities, supports small, local food producers and strengthens their position in the market

Opening the Forum, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Gastronomy tourism adds vitality to rural communities, supports small, local food producers and strengthens their position in the market contributing to add value to the tourism experience while promoting the preservation and development of local produce and know how.”

Joxe Mari Aizega, General Manager of the Basque Culinary Center, said: “Gastronomy tourism offers a unique opportunity to promote economic growth of rural communities. It is a way of involving the various agents of the gastronomy value chain, and promoting economic and social development from farm to table."

Flemish Minister Matthias Diependaele said : “With the gastronomy and tourism sectors at a turning point, we believe it is necessary to move towards gastronomy tourism with added value for our destinations, our residents, our local entrepreneurs as well as the visitors. We are happy to have come together with leaders from all over the world to exchange experiences and get inspired to poise the way towards a sustainable future for the gastronomy tourism sector.”

The Mayor of Bruges Dirk De fauw added : “I am very honoured that our city was chosen to be the host city for this important congress on tourism gastronomy.  Even before the coronavirus pandemic, Bruges opted for a sustainable tourism story in which we explicitly opt for 'better' rather than for ‘more’. A positive and sustainable story which we write together with our visitors, residents and entrepreneurs.”

To ensure that gastronomy tourism can grow as a driver of rural development, participants recognized the need to strengthen coordination between tourism, agricultural and rural development policies at the global, national, and local levels. Alongside this, the forum also focused on best ways of designing gastronomy tourism strategies and practices that ensure the sustainable use of resources, the promotion of local products and know-how, and on responsible consumption.

Also in Bruges, UNWTO showcased the talented entrepreneurs who are rising to the challenges posed by the Sustainable Development Goals through innovation along the gastronomy tourism value chain. Selected startups focused on taking climate action, reducing waste, creating sustainable communities, protecting ecosystems, amongst others, pitched their ideas to the Forum’s participants.  The startups included Faroo (Italy), Rutopia (Mexico), Apadrina un Olivo (Spain), Katla Aero (Sweden) and KITRO (Switzerland).

The next edition of the Forum will be held in Nara, Japan in 2022.

Related Links

• Download the news release in PDF
• Gastronomy Forum Call to Action
• Gastronomy and Wine Tourism
• 6th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism
• 3rd Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition

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World Tourism Organization and Basque Culinary Centre Launch the 2nd Gastronomy Tourism Start-Up Competition

• All Regions
• 10 Feb 2020

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Basque Culinary Center have joined forces again for the second edition of the Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition.

After the success of the first edition, the competition has returned to identify and celebrate disruptive ideas and innovators who will lead the transformation of the sector as well as those who are making a positive impact in their local communities.

In 2019, over 300 initiatives from 84 countries were submitted. Projects ranged from new technologies, community-based tourism development initiatives, innovation software and startups focused on innovation-driven agricultural sustainability. All of them help contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Gastronomy continues to prove its potential as a vital opportunity to enrich the tourism offer and stimulate economic development in destinations all around the world

For this second edition and with the support of the TUI Care Foundation, there will be two prizes. The first category will identify the initiative that is both innovative and has a sustainable social impact. The winning project will receive expert support from Basque Culinary Center (the Culinary Action! initiative) and from UNWTO. The project will be showcased at the 6th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy. As well as receiving help in creating a work plan for the design or implementation of a pilot project, the winner will also have access to the Culinary Action! network, which offers mentoring, monitoring and the opportunity to scale-up the project using the latest digital tools available.

The other category will recognize the most disruptive gastronomy tourism startup overall. The winning company will design a pilot project alongside Basque Culinary Center and implement it with the help of its network. It will also receive economic support to cover the expenses of the acceleration process with Culinary Action!, as well as accommodation and travel, for up to 3.000 euros.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: "With this competition we are identifying key companies which will shape the future for food and travel. Gastronomy continues to prove its potential as a vital opportunity to enrich the tourism offer and stimulate economic development in destinations all around the world, especially in rural communities, with the potential to scale on a global level.”

Competition co-founder, Basque Culinary Center Director Joxe Mari Aizega added: “This competition allows us to identify and support entrepreneurial talent in gastronomy. There are entrepreneurs in different parts of the world who are promoting new initiatives that take advantage of the potential of gastronomy and tourism. Likewise, it allows us to provide training and to offer tools to help entrepreneurs to develop projects with the potential to transform and have a positive impact on both companies and destinations, promoting gastronomic tourism as a tool to guarantee the sustainability of the destination.”

The call for proposals for the and UNWTO and Basque Culinary Center’s Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition has been launched worldwide and will close on 6 April. The finalists of the Startups category and the winners of the Social Innovation Category will be announced on 4 May 2020.

The Startups category winner winning startup will be announced between 1 and 3 June, during the 6th Edition World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism to be held in Flanders, Belgium.

For more information and registration materials, visit https://www.gastronomytourismventures.org/en

Related links

• Donwload PDF
• UNWTO and Basque Culinary Center launch Guidelines for the Development of Gastronomy Tourism
• Job Creation and Entrepreneurship take Centre Stage at UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tour
• Announcement of the Finalists of the 1st Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition

About Basque Culinary Center

Basque Culinary Center is a pioneering academic institution worldwide, created by seven of the top Basque chefs along with Mondragon University, and with the involvement of eleven of the most influential chefs in the world.

The main aim of Basque Culinary Center is higher education, research, innovation and promotion of gastronomy and nutrition.

Since its creation, in September 2011, we have worked to become the international benchmark in this field and also to promote gastronomy as a lever of social-economic development through the Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences and the Centre for Research and Innovation. We also develop many different promotional activities.

Media contacts:

UNWTO – Communication Department
comm@unwto.org
+ 34 91 567 8100

BCC – Communication Department
comunicacion@bculinary.com
+34 943 57 45 17
www.bculinary.com

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