Back to the Roots: The UNWTO 8th Gastronomy Tourism Forum Strengthens the Sector Foundation

The 8th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism was held Oct. 5-7 in Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain. The event was organized by UNWTO and its Affiliate Member, the Basque Culinary Center (BCC), with the support of the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Tourism of Spain and the provincial and municipal governments. More than 300 delegates from 50 countries attended, with 1500 connections on the UNWTO YouTube channel.

Culinary Plaza

Forum Theme: Back to the Root

With the theme, Back to the Root, the two-day dialogues with over 40 international speakers discussed many key areas, including the topics of promotion and preservation of local products, the contribution of tourism to sustainable development, innovation, and food waste.

The Forum spotlighted gastronomy tourism’s role in preserving local territories and promoting sustainable practices. A high-level panel of tourism ministers from Bulgaria, Puerto Rico, and Zimbabwe focused on policies that strengthen agriculture, gastronomy, and tourism.

The Forum concluded with Ten Key Takeaways, presented by representatives of UNWTO and BCC jointly, which included: reducing food waste; offering more experiential services; building a gastronomy tourism roadmap for Africa; advancing agritourism; stronger alliances to bring producers and chefs together; preserving traditions and heritage with academic support; education to improve the food chain; responsible storytelling, etc.

Panel session

UNWTO Sustainable Tourism Ambassadors Appointed

Three chefs were designated UNWTO Sustainable Tourism Ambassadors, i.e., Chef Fatmata Binta of Ghana, a dedicated contributor to promoting African gastronomy and community development; Chef Martín Berasategui, a native San Sebastian with the most Michelin stars in Spain (12 stars); and Michelin star Chef Pedro Subijana, a visionary, author, and co-founder of the New Basque Cuisine movement. The chefs were honored for their outstanding professionalism and their contributions to the community and the sector’s development.

Chef Martín Berasategui and Chef Pedro Subijana are designated UNWTO Sustainable Tourism Ambassador

Africa: A Land of Opportunity

Her Excellency Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa, the First Lady of Zimbabwe, was recognized by Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili for her contribution to promoting gastronomy tourism in Zimbabwe. UNWTO also awarded Zimbabwe 100 scholarships from IE University in recognition of Zimbabwe's strengthening of high-quality tourism education. A group of Zimbabwean university students were present at the Forum and also engaged in other culinary arts education activities.

Two African countries, Botswana and Zimbabwe, hosted stands onsite along with other exhibitors. Botswana flew in meats and all supplies and cooked the Botswana national dish, Beef Seswaa, and other delicacies, while Zimbabwe showcased traditional instruments like Mbira, along with various Zimbabwean snacks and Mapfura Wine, a modified version of Mukumbi Beer. The African demonstration sparked a great deal of interest.

Zimbabwean Mapfura Wine for tasting

Addressing the audience, Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili congratulated Africa and stated that Africa deserves a large-scale event to help boost its gastronomy tourism sector.

Stay Relevant to Industry Needs

An interactive session, Sharing Is Caring was conducted using the Mentimeter app for gathering real-time feedback. Moderators polled questions regarding definitions, challenges, strategies and priorities. The most-anticipated topics for the next Forum also emerged clearly as education, sustainability, marketing, and storytelling.

The Forum offered a series of technical sessions, field trips, and tastings, providing an immersive gastronomic experience. Practical topics included creating value for visitors and producers, overcoming legal obstacles faced by producers, utilizing digital tools, etc., all of which served the needs of businesses, large or small.

Korean food item, Kimbop

The Forum dedicated a session for five selected finalists from previous UNWTO Startup Competitions on Gastronomy to pitch their ideas. Oh Les Chefs of France took the winning title for its plans to introduce a locally crafted, quality food delivery app. The winning prize included access to a digital gastronomy lab, engaging in the BCC’s gastronomy entrepreneurship program, Culinary Action!, and membership in the GOe Digital Community.

Saudi Arabia dates and coffee are served

The Forum inspired a broad range of grass-roots professionals, including a Rwanda coffee export coalition executive, an Indian village manager up in the Himalayas, a tour agency on an Irish island, and more. The networking opportunities further added benefits to attendees’ takeaway bundles.

Live demo of “Kimbop” by Chef Rockhun Kim “RockChef” of Republic of Korea

Donostia-San Sebastian Under Spotlight

The Forum was held at Tabakalera, a facility conveniently located by the River Urumea which flows towards the sea by the city of San Sebastian.

The entity responsible for bringing the Forum to the region eight years ago is an internationally renowned culinary institute. Joxe Mari Aizega, BCC General Manager said, "Hosting this Forum means a series of significant benefits for our city and the region. The Forum will continue to strengthen the deep-rooted connections between tourism, gastronomy, and producers globally."

Donostia-San Sebastian is accessible by five airports as well as trains and buses. It is a city made for walking. Several Forum official hotels were in the historic Old Town, which is known for having the highest concentration of bars in the world, providing the attendees with easy access for a night out.

The Forum organized Technical Visits with five different excursions for attendees to experience and savor regional gastronomy, which included Rioja, the internationally popular wine region, with top-ranked wines from critics and connoisseurs.

The 9th UNWTO Gastronomy Tourism Forum will be held in Bahrain in 2024—the first time for the Forum to take place in the Middle East. Following the announcement, Bahrain hosted the final dinner at BCC to officially welcome international visitors.

*All photo credit: BASQUE CULINARY CENTER