{"id":27460,"date":"2024-02-02T18:27:51","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T17:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/igcat.org\/?p=27460"},"modified":"2024-02-02T18:27:51","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T17:27:51","slug":"want-a-tasty-adventure-see-igcats-top-10-websites-for-foodie-travelers-for-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/igcat.org\/es\/want-a-tasty-adventure-see-igcats-top-10-websites-for-foodie-travelers-for-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Want a tasty adventure? See IGCAT\u2019s Top 10 Websites for Foodie Travelers for 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"
Hungry for an exceptionally tasty adventure across borders? IGCAT has just announced the Top 10 Websites for Foodie Travelers 2024 so that you can be tempted to embark on a unique journey and discover fascinating food cultures!<\/strong><\/p>\n Unveiled at a gala event held on 2 February in Lappeeranta (Saimaa, European Region of Gastronomy 2024<\/a>, Finland), IGCAT\u2019s Top 10 Websites for Foodie Travelers 2024<\/a> offer unique, creative, cultural and gastronomic experiences from across the globe. Food and wine tastings, farm or factory visits, cookery classes, craft-related experience, food and\/or wine routes, food and\/or wine markets or fairs, museums or heritage sites related to food etc. These are only some of the experiences that can be found on the awarded websites that strive to promote local gastronomy, producers and distinctive food cultures.<\/p>\n President of IGCAT,\u00a0Diane Dodd PhD<\/strong>\u00a0reported that \u201cthe Jury applauded all participating websites for their commitment to nurturing more meaningful relationships between locals and international visitors, by giving international visibility to niche food and culture experiences and moreover, supporting micro-businesses \u2013 especially in rural areas where the economic impact can make a real difference. Their contribution to sustainable territorial development is just part of their appeal but the creativity of food experiences never ceases to amaze us.\u201d<\/p>\n In the presence of international guests and local stakeholders involved in Saimaa’s title year,\u00a0the top 10 websites selected from global submissions were announced, providing a most tantalising list. The jury noted that nine of the ten submissions selected come from World and European Regions of Gastronomy and justified this, as these websites stood apart for their exceptional values related to supporting circular economies and their creativity.\u00a0The winning websites are:<\/strong><\/p>\n IGCAT\u2019s international jury and criteria<\/strong><\/p>\n The websites submitted to the 3rd<\/sup> edition of the Top Websites for Foodie Travelers competition were evaluated by an international jury of experts from IGCAT who assessed them according to a series of criteria such as usability<\/strong>, sustainability<\/strong> and creativity of the experiences<\/strong> offered, as well as their connection with the regions<\/strong> they promote.<\/p>\n The jury included: Dr. Edith M. Szivas<\/a> (Switzerland\/UK), Vice-President of IGCAT and expert in sustainable tourism; Levan Kharatishvili<\/a> (Georgia), CEO and founder of the Creative Strategies Lab, and expert in cultural strategies, cultural heritage, and creative industries; Dr. Lidia Varbanova<\/a>\u00a0(Bulgaria\/Canada), senior consultant, lecturer and researcher in arts, culture and the creative industries; Prof. Dezs\u0151 Kov\u00e1cs<\/a> (Hungary), expert and researcher in rural development, tourism development in rural areas, world heritage, wine tourism and beekeeping; Marina Simi\u00e3o<\/a> (Brazil), Chief of Staff at Emater-Minas Gerais and expert in creative tourism; and Jorge Bern\u00e1rdez<\/a> (Spain), lecturer at EU Business School and expert in business, arts and tourism management, food and gastronomic networks.<\/p>\n A gala night to crown the winning websites <\/strong><\/p>\n Attended by representatives of candidate and awarded World and European Regions of Gastronomy and local stakeholders, the gala event was hosted as part of the celebrations of\u00a0Saimaa, European Region of Gastronomy 2024<\/strong>\u00a0that officially kicked-off their title year with an opening weekend full of events and surprises (2-4-February).<\/p>\n Held at Kehruuhuone<\/a> restaurant in the Lappeenranta fortress, the Top Websites for Foodie Travelers 2024 award ceremony was moderated by Saimi Hoyer<\/strong>, Ambassador of Saimaa, European Region of Gastronomy 2024, and counted with the presence of Regional Mayor of South Karelia, Satu Sikanen<\/strong>; Director of Tourism and Marketing at the City of Lappeenranta, Mirka Rahman<\/strong>; Director for goSaimaa, Regional tourism development and marketing company, Katja Vehvil\u00e4inen<\/strong>; and President of IGCAT, Diane Dodd PhD<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The ceremony culminated with a Taste Saimaa<\/a> dinner specially designed for the occasion and hosted by CEO of goSaimaa, Katja Vehvil\u00e4inen<\/strong> and Taste Saimaa Ambassador, Ulla Liukkonen<\/strong>, inspired by the local producers and nature.<\/p>\n Earlier in the day, a seminar was held with national and international speakers on the significance of the European Region of Gastronomy 2024 title for Saimaa and opportunities for international cooperation with other regions holding the award. Alongside, a food market was organised with producers from the Taste Saimaa Partner network exhibiting their products.<\/p>\n About IGCAT\u2019s Top Websites for Foodie Travelers<\/strong><\/p>\n By publishing an annual list of Top Websites for Foodie Travelers<\/a>, IGCAT aims to: increase international visitors access to quality food and cultural experiences; give international visibility to niche food and culture experiences; and reward portals and apps that support micro-businesses and contribute to sustainable territorial development.<\/p>\n In doing so, IGCAT hopes to encourage the development of new and unique food experiences initiatives or start-ups, and provide inspiration to build innovative, creative and positive food experiences.<\/p>\n The Top 10 Websites for Foodie Travelers 2024 will be given international visibility and will be permanently promoted on IGCAT\u2019s website and social media.<\/p>\n About the World\/European Regions of Gastronomy<\/strong><\/p>\n World\/European Regions of Gastronomy<\/a>, guided by\u00a0IGCAT<\/a>, are working together to strengthen food security through the celebration of distinctive food cultures; create employment by stimulating creativity and gastronomic innovation; nourish children and adults through culinary and cultural education; driving environmental sustainability in tourism, hospitality and agricultural sectors; supporting balance and sustainable tourism practices; highlighting and supporting expertise from within rural and urban communities, creating connections and sharing good practices; and contributing to community health and well-being.<\/p>\n About IGCAT<\/strong><\/p>\n IGCAT aims to\u00a0empower local communities<\/strong>\u00a0by raising awareness of the importance of protecting and promoting distinct regional food, culture, arts and natural assets as part of sustainable and balanced tourism and development strategies. This is essential to safeguarding our planet, health, wellness and local economies.<\/p>\n IGCAT is a non-profit institute established in 2012, working with regional stakeholder consortiums in the fields of gastronomy, culture, arts and tourism. It counts on the expertise of a worldwide\u00a0network of experts<\/a>\u00a0and works in partnership with specialised intergovernmental organisations.<\/p>\n IGCAT founded the\u00a0World\/European\u00a0Region of Gastronomy Award<\/a>\u00a0and is the official secretariat for the\u00a0World\/European Regions of Gastronomy Platforms<\/a>. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the\u00a0European Young Chef Award<\/a>, the\u00a0World Food Gift Challenge<\/a>, the\u00a0Top Websites for Foodie Travelers Award<\/a>\u00a0and the international\u00a0Food Film Menu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hungry for an exceptionally tasty adventure across borders? IGCAT has just announced the Top 10 Websites for Foodie Travelers 2024 so that you can be tempted to embark on a unique journey and discover fascinating food cultures! Unveiled at a gala event held on 2 February in Lappeeranta (Saimaa, European Region of Gastronomy 2024, Finland), […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":27466,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[194,301,2048,426,429,2084,2238,2089],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n