1st world forum on food tourism opens in Spanish city of San Sebastian

The first United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) forum on food tourism opened on Monday in the Spanish city of San Sebastian.

The forum looks to provide a platform to exchange experiences and ideas on how to manage the growing phenomenon of gastronomic tourism throughout the world.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Carlos Vogeler, the executive general secretary of the UNWTO, said this was the start of a period of an "exceptional time" for world tourism in which over 1,000 million tourists were crossing borders to try food from other cultures.

"Gastronomy is one of those experiences which opens the most doors," he said, adding that "for this reason gastronomy and tourism are perfect partners."

He said there was much to be done in this field as gastronomy has not been fully exploited and offers "excellent opportunities" to increase earnings for everyone from the "smallest fisherman, to the local fruit and vegetable producer, to the man who serves tables and the street food vender," and as such it can be another important tool for regional development.

The forum is designed to help realize the full potential in the field, explained Vogeler.

He highlighted that San Sebastian, which in 2016 will be the European City of Culture had the highest number of Michelin Stars in the world. It is a "city that lives by gastronomy" and a "world capital of gastronomy."

The forum is being held at the Basque Culinary Center (BCC), the first faculty of gastronomic sciences in Spain. During its six years of existence, the BCC has become a so-called reference for gastronomy which investigates, promotes and teaches the rich and varied gastronomy of the Basque region, which many believe has the best food in Spain.

Jose Mari Aizega, the director of the BCC said the forum aimed to "generate debate and analysis in the world of tourism and gastronomy, which is now a world phenomenon."

Juan Carlos Izagirre, mayor of San Sebastian, explained the city was perfect for hosting the forum given that it was a city "dedicated to sustainable tourism," and "one of the most important cities for gastronomic tourism in the world."

The event involves workshops and brainstorming sessions, which include famous chefs, representatives of the travel industry. The aim is to develop ideas on branding and strategy, in some cases though looking at case studies from gastronomic tourism destinations around the planet. Endit