Industry experts and stakeholders from over 40 countries came together at the inaugural UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific. Photo Credit: Department of Tourism, The Philippines
The Philippines welcomed over 600 gold delegates of the inaugural UN
Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific in
Cebu.
Co-organised by the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT), the UN
Tourism, and the Basque Culinary Center, the event was held from 26-28
June at The Marquee of Shangri-La Mactan, gathering participants from UN
member-states, affiliate members, and tourism stakeholders from
national and international organisations.
This inaugural forum in Asia Pacific 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 to fully harness the transformative power of gastronomy
tourism with regard to 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 King Chan, Lapu-Lapu City mayor Junard Chan, UN tourism
ambassador for gastronomy tourism chef Vicky Cheng, and other 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 the Cebuano people.
Frasco said, "We’re deeply honoured by the confidence conferred upon
our nation by United Nations Tourism and its member states to host this
inaugural global event that brings together ministers, heads of
delegation, heads of mission, experts, stakeholders, enthusiasts from
over 40 countries from around the world and Asia Pacific to celebrate
gastronomy, to develop and promote tourism, and to cultivate the
symbiotic relationship of these two sectors that assures their and our
mutual success.”
Cebu, with over half a millennia of recorded history and deeply
embedded cultural heritage, serves as a ‘fitting venue' for the
delegates’ gastronomic explorations and discussions, said Frasco.
Pololikashvili added that there were plans to establish an
educational gastronomy centre in Cebu following the success of the
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.
The call to action 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.