BANGKOK, 1 June 2018: The 4th UNWTO Forum on Gastronomy Tourism opened in Bangkok, Thursday, attracting what the organisers called a “record turnout.
Hosted for the first time in Asia the event attracted 475 delegates from 52 countries.
The two-day event will close Friday but in the meantime restaurateurs, chefs, food and beverage executives and hoteliers are telling their stories to an audience that has a ravenous appetite for food and tourism.
Organised by the UN World Tourism Organisation and Basque Culinary Centre, the conference is being attended by the UNWTO secretary-general, Zurab Pololikashvili, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett and Basque Culinary Centre director, Joxe Mari Aizega.
The conference’s key role is to create awareness both nationally and regionally for the role of gastronomy tourism.
Speakers from Macau, Japan, Indonesia and the Basque region of Spain discussed the current situation in their regions and the global outlook for gastronomy tourism as well how the public and private sector can establish successful partnerships.
The conference has also examined how countries can relate their gastronomy tourism strategies to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda.
