Off the wire
• 1st LD: China pledges 2 billion USD to support South-South cooperation  • Iranian soccer league results  • Messi off with knee injury  • Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Sept. 26  • Confucius Institute in Madrid brings Chinese culture closer to general public on Confucius Institute Day  • Urgent: Xi puts forward four-point proposal on global development  • Feature: Bulgaria celebrates Global Confucius Institute Day  • Urgent: China to invest 12 billion USD in LDCs by 2030  • Urgent: China pledges 2 billion USD for South-South cooperation  • News Analysis: Russia's military build-up in Syria reinvigorates political solution  
You are here: 　 Home

In Strasbourg, festival of gastronomy opens up to Europe

Xinhua, September 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

he 5th edition of the Festival of Gastronomy, which is being held this weekend throughout France but also abroad, aims to place Strasbourg at the center of a touristic policy turned toward Europe.

Following the addition of French gastronomic cuisine to UNESCO's "world intangible heritage" list in 2011, the Festival of Gastronomy was launched by the French State Secretariat for Commerce, Crafts, Consummation and Social and Solidarity Economy.

During the official launch of the event on Saturday in Strasbourg, the President of Masters Restaurateurs Jacques Eber explained: "We have opened the title of Master Restaurateur to Europe in order to enlarge the impact of this festival of gastronomy and mobilize beyond our borders."

It is no accident, therefore, that the next general assembly of this fellowship of the cuisine industry will be held at the end of November in the hemicycle of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. "Some Swiss, German and Belgian delegations will be present in order that we can study the practical application of our certificate of quality abroad," he added.

Across all of the countries involved, there are 10,000 events which have been organized, including 37 international events. This is an increase compared to 2014, a 4th edition that attracted more than 1.8 million visitors and brought together nearly 280,000 professionals.

"Gastronomy is part of the French DNA," affirmed the director of the Touristic Development Agency of the Alsatian Region, Marc Levy. In the nation of croissants, cheese and good wine, gastronomy represents 13.5 percent of spending for foreign tourists.

However, "France must not rest on its laurels in regard to tourism," warned Laurent Mace, of the Regional Direction of Enterprises, Competition, Consummation, Work and Employment (DIRECCTE).

"Ongoing research and a concern for excellence in touristic services, as well as a diversification of offers within a long-term strategy turned internationally is necessary to assure success," insisted the civil servant charged with "Economic Development in Tourism." Endit