In January 2023, our project CultourGastronomy was launched!! The project is about enhancing the gastronomy tourism potential of small
traditional food producers & increasing cultural awareness of EU & national gastronomic heritage.
In recent years, gastronomic tourism has grown considerably and has become one of the most dynamic & creative segments of tourism. Decision makers agree on the importance of gastronomy to diversify tourism and stimulate local & regional economic development. This is especially important for rural communities. With their proximity to food-producing lands, they often enjoy a comparative advantage when it comes to serving up traditional cuisine. “Tourism, particularly food tourism, allows these communities to generate income and employment opportunities locally, providing jobs for vineyard tour guides or local chefs, while fuelling other sectors of local economy such as agriculture“. (Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General, 2nd Global Report on food tourism).
CultourGastronomy wants to contribute to the support this trend and empower local food and drink producers to diversify their activities through a new training program.