In recent years, food has become essential for travellers to experience different cultures and lifestyle. Gastronomy has acquired a central role as a leverage for destinations and tourism consumption has developed a supply chain based on local and quality products, as well as the establishment of an own niche market. Because of this, the Basque Culinary Center (BCC) decided to become a UNWTO Affiliate Member, in order to assist on the development of Gastronomic Tourism. As a result of this partnership, UNWTO and BCC convened, in collaboration with Basquetour, the Foral Deputation of Gipuzkoa and the Donostia-San Sebastián city-council, the 1st UNWTO World Forum on Food Tourism, whose main objective was to boost the professional development of the sector, providing a space for exchange of experience and identification of best practices worldwide.
The forum was held on 27-28 April 2015 in Donostia-San Sebastián and it saw the intervention of relevant international experts in the field, that by presenting current research and tendencies shed light on the latest trends and challenges within the spheres of knowledge, consumer trends, management and communication.
Diane Dodd, director of IGCAT, the coordinating body for the European Region of Gastronomy award, was invited to speak in the brainstorming session on current tendencies in food tourism, that took place on the 27th of April and during which many important issues were debated. These included the most current significant trends in food tourism, the keys element to a food tourism destination’s success, the development phases of a food tourism destination and how to distinguish them, reflections on phenomena such as gastro-diplomacy and cross culturalism, governance models, consequence of food tourism development for tourist policy, training and highlighting good practices worldwide.
Two other experts held the debate with her, Mr. Mitsuharu Tsumura, Chef of the Peruvian Maido restaurant and Mr. Lluis Pujol, manager of Creative Tourism. Toge. Together, they generated a platform for the exchange of experiences and identification of best practices worldwide, they helped gaining a better understanding of the needs and means to enhance the management of gastronomic tourism worldwide and they transmitted successful initiatives on which tourism, wine and gastronomy are linked internationally.