The Forum aims to harness the transformative power of gastronomy tourism for the benefit of local communities and territories in the African continent
The Forum will be held from July 26 to 28, 2024. It will be Hosted under the patronage of the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. Auxillia C. Mnangagwa and is co-organized with Basque Culinary Center.
With gastronomy tourism as one of the pillars of the UN Tourism Agenda for Africa – Tourism for Inclusive Growth, the Forum aims to build towards a roadmap for a common agenda for African Gastronomy Tourism. African Tourism Ministers and the FAO Representative in Zimbabwe will take part in discussions on developing a strategy to propel African gastronomy onto the global stage, how to build adequate polices to enhance gastronomy tourism and enhance its role as a driver of development. In addition to forum discussions, the event will include organized technical visits to various locations throughout the region.
Highlighting the importance of innovation, the Forum will include a pitch challenge where entrepreneurs will present scalable solutions to address regional challenges in the gastronomy and tourism value chains. Additionally, keynotes and panel discussions will emphasize sustainable practices in gastronomy tourism, exploring topics such as local sourcing and minimizing food waste.
At the Forum, Experts and chefs, including Chef Fatmata Binta, UN Tourism Ambassador for Responsible Tourism, representatives from the Ghana Food Movement, Chef Adenike Adefila from Nigeria, Chefs in Africa (Rwanda), and Chef Mounir El Arem from Tunisia will present their initiatives and discuss their impact on local communities, emphasizing their role in fostering positive change and progressing education and skills.
On the sidelines of the Forum, the UN Tourism Youth Photo Contest titled “A Journey through Zimbabwe´s Gastronomy” will offer Zimbabwean communities a unique opportunity to express their perspective and capture the essence of Zimbabwe’s gastronomic heritage. The call for participation will open from June 10 to July 1.
