Tourism Awareness Week 2024: Gastronomy Tourism on the rise
This Tourism Awareness Week (22nd - 28th September) Ministers of Tourism for the G20 economies met in Brazil, to discuss the future of globetrotting. The theme this year is Tourism and Peace: Out of Many, One Love.
“Tourism heavily depends on biodiversity, climate stability and natural resources,” shared Secretary-General Pololikashvili. “Accelerating climate action in tourism is critical for the resilience of the sector and host communities.”
All were in agreement that the focus must now be on empowering local communities, fighting back against climate change and supporting our natural world. At the intersection of these three - is food. With Oktoberfest in full swing, here’s a look at the rest of the global food scene.
Türkiye and Jamaica invest in gastronomy tourism to entice food travelers
Gastronomy tourism is the exploration of a culture’s local dishes, beverages, food production and general food traditions. Türkiye hopes to boost its revenue from gastronomy tourism to US$18bn by the end of 2024 and US$25bn by 2025.
As a meeting point of the European and Asian continents, Türkiye is known for its vast culinary heritage. To indulge domestic and international visitors, Türkiye has set up 41 food, cookery and pastry courses, within Istanbul, as well as 34 gastronomy museums and a staggering 360 gastronomy festivals across the country every year.
“Türkiye is on its way to becoming a global player in gastronomy tourism,” said Gürkan Boztepe, President of the Gastronomy Tourism Association.
Over in Jamaica, Hon Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, has shared that Jamaica’s first Gastronomy Academy will open at the Montego Bay Convention Centre at the end of 2024, aimed at winter tourists. The convention centre will have “the largest and best kitchen, arguably in the Caribbean,” supported by a gourmet restaurant, which will be a training ground for the academy’s students.
“We’re going to be having young people become a part of this,” Hon Edmund Bartlett said. “We’re not only now going to be training executive chefs and sous chefs and trying to make people into Michelin-standard performers for the business of cuisine development and great restaurants.”
In 2023, the theme for Tourism Awareness Week was ‘Tourism and Green Investments’.
“As stewards of this beautiful Earth, it is our moral responsibility to safeguard its natural economic and social resources, for future generations,” shared Hon. Edmund Bartlett.
Food festivals to explore across the world
Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival 2024, Central Harbourfront Event Space, 23rd - 27th October
This year’s Wine and Dine festival will feature an extraordinary range of wine and food booths, now taking place over five days and with later opening hours. There will also be food masterclasses led by chefs and live performances.
Singapore Food Festival 2024, 1st-31st October
The festival offers a mix of pop-up and formal events, to celebrate Singapore’s diverse gastronomic heritage, including Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan influences.
Truro Food Festival, Cornwall, UK, Lemon Quay 25th-29th September
The five-day event will feature chef demonstrations, live music and after-party events, indulging in Middle Eastern, Australian and Italian cuisine.
Two Skinner’s Brewery Festival Bars will provide refreshments, live music and a silent disco, as well as a chilli-eating competition.
The festival has partnered with Great Western Railway for this event, a train service which provides interchange between London and Cornwall.
9th UN Tourism World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism, 18th-19th November 2024 in Manama, Bahrain
Finally, The World Tourism Organisation and its Affiliate Member, the Basque Culinary Center (BCC), will meet jointly with the Government of Bahrain for the 9th UN Tourism World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism, which will run 18th-19th November in Manama, Bahrain.
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