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Sustainable tourism is a transversal topic, this is the main reason why I decided to share more about events and conferences of the industry. 30 May – 1 June, for example, the 4th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism takes place in Bangkok, Thailand.

sustainable tourism world news 4th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism bangkok

As stated in UNWTO website “this 4th edition of the World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism will specifically focus on harnessing the power of technology as a driver for sustainable growth.” It would be interesting to follow the event and to understand currents trends and challenges in the sector, best practices and inspiring discussions on intercultural dialogue, gastro diplomacy, and the importance of technology for sustainable gastronomy tourism. The conclusions of the previous edition can be read here, thanks to Youtube channel most of presentations and conferences can be founded and followed, please check UNWTO youtube channel and UNWTO facebook page for the streaming of the events.

The preliminary program includes different type of events and activities, the most interesting, in my opinion, are:

UNWTO member’s panel: experiences and best practices. This section will consist of presentations showing examples of successful initiatives in gastronomy tourism, providing an ideal space for the exchange of expertise and for the development of projects that foster sustainable practices in gastronomy tourism.  I am pleased to see an Italian name among the names of the panel.

Workshops led by start-ups

Attendants will be divided into four groups for a hands-on experience in four different locations in Bangkok

Bangkok Food Tours Workshop: From Zero to Food Heroes – how Bangkok Food Tours uses technology and service design to reinterpret local food and revitalize the old town In this workshop, led by Bangkok Food Tours (BFT), participants will learn and experience the first ever behind-the-scenes tour on how the startup deploys technology and service design process to acquire customers and scale up its business, whilst helping the local community. The workshop will begin with an introduction of BFT, followed by a discussion on the technology and service design that BFT uses to innovate its travel programme. Participants will be given the Historic Bangrak Food and Cultural Walking Tour awarded Thailand’s best cultural tour programme. The hands-on tour will illustrate how technology and BTF’s handcrafted tour design enable them to enhance the travel experience. The tour will feature local dishes, such as sweetened banana with coconut milk, taco-like ancient dessert filled with coconut cream, Chinese chive dumplings, beef soup and traditional Thai coffee or tea.

HiveSters Workshop: Nang Loeng, the culture amazing race program This workshop, led by HiveSters, will take participants to Nang Loeng. The route to Nang Loeng will explore how technology and sustainable tourism has helped bring back the disappearing community and culture of Nang Loeng. Participants will get to enjoy the century-old market and taste traditional food.

LocalAlike Workshop: Local Shade with Hidden Desserts Starting with the introduction of the nine Thai auspicious desserts, each with different meanings and ways of cooking. Explore the old town surrounded by ancient temples of over 100 years old such as Wat Prayurawongsawat, the royal temple. Learn about the local Thai lifestyle which is closely bound to temples. Every morning people would prepare food delicately and make merit by offering food to monks. After that, proceed to the Princess Mother Memorial Park or the locals call “Somdet Ya Park”. The Princess Mother also fell in love with the charm of Thai desserts. Thai-dessert making workshop with teachers from the School of Culinary Arts, Suan Dusit University.

Trawell Workshop: Food x Technology CITY PASS This workshop, led by Trawell, will explore Trawell’s core product: CITY PASS. CITY PASS is a self-guided tour application that aims to bring travelers from main attractions into those of SMEs and local communities in order to support local communities and local entrepreneurs in overcoming the challenges of displacement and gentrification. Participants will experience CITY PASS in action and be taken to hidden restaurants and shops in and around the old town that are all facing displacement by both the private and public sector. Participants will be divided into three groups, each exploring a separate area: Ghost door, Sam Phrang, and Banglamphu.

Keynote: Gastronomy Tourism: Linking sustainability, differentiation, and community
Dr. Ian Yeoman, Associate Professor, School of Management, University of Wellington, New Zealand

Session 5: The economic and social impact of gastronomy tourism: the effect in the whole value chain and the Sustainable Development Goals. This session will discuss the challenges that the gastronomy value chain has to tackle in order to preserve identity and authenticity in the face of globalization and digital transformation.

August 2018 updates: please find all the presentations of the 4th edition (pdf file)

sustainable tourism world news 4th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism

Are you interested to know more?
Ask  #STouW by Sara Vitali about: 

#sustainabletourism consultancy, 
#socialmedia strategies for tourism sector & linked sustainable, responsible, green or eco businesses; 
#sustainabledevelopment through tourism. 
http://sustainabletourismworld.com/sara-vitali-stw-founder/