Asia and the Pacific’s growing status as a gastronomy tourism destination has been celebrated as key stakeholders look to a more inclusive and sustainable future.
The first UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific built on the success of the global event to serve as a platform for public and private sector leaders to address the main challenges and opportunities in this fast-emerging part of global tourism.
As with the World Forum, the event was co-organized by UN Tourism and the Basque Culinary Centre (BCC) and hosted by the Department of Tourism of the Philippines.
Food is at the heart of every tourist experience, and gastronomy tourism delivers many social and economic benefits
Reflecting the strong commitment of its Member States to harnessing the economic and social benefits of gastronomy tourism, UN Tourism put the focus on policy frameworks and government action.
Addressing an opening Ministerial Dialogue, Christina Garcia Frasco, Secretary of the Department of Tourism of the Philippines, joined Martini M. Paham, Deputy Minister for Resources and Institutions of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, Jakkaphon Tangsutthitham, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, Mitsuaki Hoshino, Vice-Commissioner of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for the Japan Tourism Agency and Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (China). The Ministers made the case for policies and strategies that enhance the benefits of gastronomy tourism and the importance of connecting tourism with other sectors namely agriculture, culture and rural development.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Food is at the heart of every tourist experience, and gastronomy tourism delivers many social and economic benefits. 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.”
The event concluded with the Cebu Call to Action on Gastronomy Tourism, calling for both public and private sector leaders to develop comprehensive strategies at all levels to integrate gastronomy tourism into policy and practice. It urges the creation of governance mechanisms uniting stakeholders under a shared vision, fostering cooperation across sectors such as agriculture and culture, and supporting small businesses to enhance their market position. Emphasis was placed on empowering local communities through training and financing, promoting unique culinary experiences, and advocating for sustainable practices that protect local cultures and the environment.
In line with UN Tourism’s focus on inclusive rural development, inclusion and sustainability, the Forum brought together academic, business leaders, community representatives and top chefs to explore some of the most pressing issues in the field of gastronomy tourism.
Emphasis was placed on ensuring the sector is managed in harmony with and empowers host communities and local traditions, including through the use of local products, greater linkages with agriculture and the creative industries and merging heritage with new trends. Among the “Chefs Leading Change” the Forum brought together three UN Tourism Ambassadors for Sustainable Tourism: Chef Pilar Rodriguez (Chile), Chef Rudolf Stefan (Croatia) and Chef Margarita Fores (Philippines),
On the occasion, UN Tourism nominated Chef Vicky Cheng (Hong Kong, China) as its most recent UN Tourism Ambassador.
Women-led tourism initiatives are driving sustainability efforts forward across Asia and the Pacific region but more financial investment, training and equal opportunities are still needed to reach gender equality.
The 2nd Regional Conference on the Empowerment of Women in Tourism in Asia & the Pacific provided a platform for some of the most successful women in tourism from the region to spotlight their initiatives, identify challenges and develop strategies for inclusive growth and sustainable development. This is in line with the drive to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
UN Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia co-hosted the event. Over 500 participants from 25 countries gathered to share best practices, forge new partnerships and discuss measures to promote gender equality in the tourism sector. Tourism’s contribution to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda was central to discussions of the Ministerial Roundtable and the three panels which covered some of the key areas for women's empowerment in tourism, including entrepreneurship, leadership, education, accessibility and workforce participation.
One of the highlights of the conference was the announcement that UN Tourism’s flagship ‘Centre Stage’ capacity-building programme for gender equality is now open to all its Asia and Pacific Member States. The programme provides targeted support to governments and tourism businesses, creating more opportunities for women’s empowerment and their professional development.
Among the set of key recommendations that emerged from discussions are supporting women-owned businesses, introducing gender-responsive budgeting, more training opportunities and promoting women's leadership in decision-making roles.
Speaking about the conference, Harry Hwang, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific of UN Tourism, said “the inspirational women gathered in Bali are role models for an inclusive and sustainable future for tourism. Today is an important milestone on the road to gender equality but as we have seen, we have a lot more work to do.”
Angela Tanoesoedibjo, Vice Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Deputy Head of Tourism and Creative Economy Agency of Indonesia stated that “Indonesian women participate in and contribute significantly to the tourism sector. In Indonesia, data shows that 54.22% of tourism workers are women, similar to the global trend”.
Sandiaga Uno, Minister of Tourism and the Creative Economy of Indonesia, added “as we’ve seen, women are the motor of the Indonesian tourism sector. We are committed to providing more empowerment opportunities, breaking down barriers and making sure women are centre stage of our future development.”
