To attract more tourists and bring socio-economic benefits to the people, the UN Tourism Agency has launched the Cebu Call to Action for Resilient Food Tourism in the Asia-Pacific Region while proposing the establishment of a Cebu-based International Tourism School.
These were held in Cebu, where the UN Tourism Organization organized the first Regional Gastronomic Tourism in Asia Pacific following the 36th Joint Meeting of the East Asia Pacific Tourism Commission and the South Asia Tourism Commission.
From left: Zurab Pololikashvili of the United Nations Tourism Organization, Cristina Garcia Frasco of the Philippines, and Dottie Biarr Cronin of Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort. (Photo by Rosa Ocampo)
Sandra Calvao, Director of UN Tourism Market Information, Policy and Competitiveness, identified 12 action points for Member States to implement, including developing comprehensive strategies at national, regional and local levels to integrate gastronomic tourism into policy development and practice, promoting culinary identity and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises to improve their market position.
Meanwhile, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said he is in talks with Philippine Tourism Secretary Cristina Garcia Frasco about setting up a UN-backed international tourism institute or academy that would include gastronomy and culinary training in Cebu, allowing Asian students to attend instead of traveling to faraway culinary and tourism institutes.
Pololikashvili said UNTOC partnered with Spain’s IE University to set up the Tourism Online Academy in 2019, which currently offers more than 50 products and courses, with 28,000 students already enrolled.
Frasco said the Philippines has already allocated a budget to create a gastronomy roadmap, while as part of discussions with the United Nations Tourism Office, a framework is also being worked out to help Asia-Pacific countries attract more foreign investment in the tourism sector this year or next.
Philippine Tourism Undersecretary for Muslim Affairs and Mindanao Development Mila Paz Valderosa Abubakar said the spotlight on gastronomy tourism will be a big boon for halal tourism, which has proven to have demand from new source markets for the destination, such as the Middle East, Indonesia and Malaysia.
