Tourexpi
The
event brought together over 70 stakeholders from across the Pacific to
co-create gastronomy tourism experiences and itineraries that strengthen the
connection between agrifood systems and the tourism sector.
Held
from 30 June to 2 July, the workshop welcomed participants from the Cook
Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and Palau. This event
marked a key milestone in the broader initiative led by UN Tourism and the
Mountain Partnership Secretariat—Development of Sustainable Gastronomy Tourism
Itineraries and Value Chains in the Pacific SIDS—which aims to integrate
small-scale producers into tourism value chains.
Gastronomy
tourism as a tool for community resilience
Gastronomy
tourism holds great potential to foster community resilience by generating
additional income, preserving traditional ecological knowledge, and celebrating
cultural heritage.
Throughout
the workshop, more than 70 producers, tourism operators, national tourism
authorities, and international partners collaborated to shape a shared regional
vision linking agriculture and tourism. The goal: to catalyze public–private
partnerships that support sustainable development throughout the Pacific SIDS.
A
collaborative approach to tourism ecosystems
Taking
a participatory approach, the workshop focused on building gastronomy tourism
ecosystems by co-creating experiences and itineraries tailored to national
contexts. This aligns with UN Tourism’s ongoing work in both gastronomy and
agritourism.
As
emphasized by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, sustainable agrifood
systems and responsibly managed tourism are deeply interconnected—a synergy
that is especially vital in the fragile mountain and island ecosystems of the
Pacific.
Building
capacity for producers and tourism stakeholders
UN
Tourism led targeted sessions providing technical guidance and outreach support
for producers, equipping them with tools to improve market access, design
sustainable business models, and foster meaningful visitor interactions.
Producers were recognized not only as economic contributors but also as guardians
of biodiversity and keepers of ancestral knowledge.
Collaborative
sessions with tourism operators and national tourism authorities promoted cross-sector
dialogue, aimed at strengthening local livelihoods and enhancing gastronomy
tourism ecosystems at the national level. The workshop also provided a key
opportunity to advance the implementation of the Guidelines for the Development
of Gastronomy Tourism by UN Tourism and the Basque Culinary Center (BCC).
Advancing
regional dialogue and international cooperation
The
workshop served as a valuable platform for interinstitutional dialogue and
regional cooperation, helping embed gastronomy tourism in national development
strategies. UN Tourism, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, and SPTO
presented a coordinated effort to position sustainable tourism as a
community-led pillar of Pacific development, while promoting international
recognition of the region’s rich culinary heritage.
This
initiative was supported by the Italian Development Cooperation and the Italian
Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) through the Mountain Partnership
Secretariat, illustrating how global partnerships can drive sustainable
development and resilience.
The
workshop planted the first seed for a broader vision: to diversify Pacific
tourism while protecting fragile ecosystems. By nurturing a collaborative
network, the initiative sets in motion new conversations and partnerships that
will support producers and communities, foster public–private collaboration, and
highlight the need for national and regional strategies to guide gastronomy
tourism development.
Image
Credit: © UN Tourism
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