from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau
HARARE, (CAJ News) – THE inaugural United Nations Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Africa, held in Zimbabwe, marks a significant step forward for the host nation and the continent.
The recent forum in Victoria Falls highlighted Zimbabwe’s commitment to leveraging gastronomy as a catalyst for sustainable tourism development locally and across the African continent.
Under the patronage of the First Lady of Zimbabwe, Auxillia Mnangagwa, and in collaboration with the Basque Culinary Centre, the forum brought together around 200 delegates from 33 countries, including 11 ministers and deputy ministers, the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN.
Opening the landmark event, UN Tourism Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, said: “It is only right we now meet in one of the world’s most exciting gastronomy regions – Africa!”
“We leave Victoria Falls with a roadmap that will enable us to build an Agenda for Gastronomy Tourism in Africa, to ensure that we do work to make gastronomy tourism benefit people and the planet,” Pololikashvili said.
Discussions at the forum emphasised the transformative power of gastronomy tourism in enhancing local communities and economies throughout Africa.
There was a strong focus on showcasing Africa’s rich culinary heritage to the world, emphasizing the importance of collaboration among chefs, policymakers and other stakeholders.
The Zimbabwe International Tourism Academy for the Culinary Arts has been established, in partnership with the UN Tourism.
This initiative underscores a strong commitment to skills development and education, reinforced by the announcement of 100 UN Tourism Academy online scholarships aimed at nurturing culinary talent across the continent.
The second edition of the regional forum will be held in Tanzania in 2025.
– CAJ News