With regular travel and tourism, this slogan applies: Build the road and people will come. With gastronomy tourism, however, it would be rewritten as “Cook and serve the food and visitors will come in droves.”
Tourism industry leaders all over the world have been thinking of more ways of enticing people to travel, and so we have the various sub-sectors of tourism such as medical, educational, cultural, entertainment, religious, etc. In all these classifications, food or gastronomy tourism is the common denominator.
It is thus timely that the Philippines, through the Department of Tourism (DOT) headed by Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, is now co-hosting the first Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific which began Wednesday (June 26, 2024) at Shangri-La Mactan in Cebu.
The activity was hailed by UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili who witnessed the vibrant participation of the Philippines in this sectoral initiative.
Co-organized by the DOT, the UN Tourism, and the Basque Culinary Center, the event gathered participants from UN member-states, affiliate members, and tourism stakeholders from national and international organizations. A first of its kind in Asia and the Pacific the forum seeks to become a platform to celebrate the power of gastronomy tourism by bringing together destinations and international experts in an exchange of knowledge and best practices, in order to fully harness the transformative power of gastronomy tourism, especially its benefits to local communities and the environment.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, BCC Director of Masters and Courses Idoia Calleja, Lapu-Lapu City Lone District Representative Ma. Cynthia "Cindi" King Chan, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan, UN Tourism Ambassador for Gastronomy Tourism Chef Vicky Cheng of VEA Restaurant in Hong Kong, and foreign dignitaries led the ceremonial pouring of rice into a giant pusô, a rice cake made by boiling rice in a woven pouch of palm leaves that serves as a major culinary pride of Cebuanos.
On the more serious side, the UN Tourism has issued the Cebu Call to Action, moving forward the agenda of a resilient food tourism in the Asia Pacific.
The outcome document was endorsed by the agency during the first UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism in Asia and the Pacific.
The Call to Action provides the region a “common vision” toward the future of gastronomy as a way to attract travelers into a country, and in turn, bring sustainable socio-economic benefits to its people.
It urges both public and private sector leaders to develop strategies at all levels to integrate gastronomy tourism into policy and implementation. It also calls for the creation of governance mechanisms to link stakeholders.
UN Tourism Market Intelligence, Policies, and Competitiveness Director Sandra Carvao presented the document, listing the 12 following points of actions for its member states to implement:
a) Develop comprehensive strategies at national, regional, and local levels to integrate gastronomy tourism into policy formulation and practice; b) Create governance mechanisms; c)Foster cooperation across sectors such as agriculture and culture; d) Support small businesses to enhance their market position; e) Empower local communities by investing in skills development; f) Promote culinary identity;
g) Create added value experiences and diversify tourism offering; (h) Recognize the role of rural landscapes; i)Encourage local sourcing; j) Implement circular solutions; k) Advance education and innovation; and, l) Advocate for sustainable practices.
Sandra Carvao is correct in her observation that gastronomy is fast becoming a “motivation” for people when considering travel.
In the American Express Travel’s 2023 Global Travel Trends Report, she said 81 percent of travelers “agree that trying local food is the part of travel that they look forward to the most” and that 37 percent said they would “choose a destination because they want to visit a specific restaurant.”