World Food Travel Summit, Gothenburg, Sweden

September 2013

The World Food Travel Summit is a key learning and networking event for anyone involved in the extensive arena of food tourism. We attended with three of our food ambassadors and here are some of the insights we gained.

• Foodtourismencompasseseveryone

• Foodisubiquitous -itisineveryaspectofourlives

• Foodtourismisnotaboutexpenseor prestige,butaboutuniqueexperiences

• Only8.1%oftravellersareseekinga luxuryfoodexperience.

• 92%oftravellersarelookingfor memorableauthenticexperiences.

• There’shugepotentialforsmaller countriestobringfoodtourismto the next level

• Foodanddrinkneedstobethe foundation of every destination marketing and development strategy.

»WorldFoodTravelSummit,Sweden

Sweden’s approach to Food Tourism

InJuly2008,Sweden’sMinisterforRuralAffairs,Eskil Erlandsson presentedhisandtheSwedishgovernment’svision for Sweden – The New Culinary Nation.

Ithas5areasoffocus:FoodTourism, Restaurants,PublicFood,Primary ProductionandFoodProduction. Their vision is built around their climate,diversityofproduceand manufacturingmethods,nature andchefswhichtheyviewas theiruniqueadvantages.

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Key Messages

“Stay true to your food culture, authenticity is the number 1 sought after experience.”ErikWolf,CEO,WorldFoodTravelAssociation

“It’s not about being the best but trying your best!”AmiHovstadius,VisitSweden

“If you build it, they will come”FiaGulliksson,Östersund,CreativeCitiesofGastronomy

Torequestamoredetailedoverviewpleaseemail: foodtourism@failteireland.ie

Inspirational Food Tourism Ideas

Restaurant Dayisaonedayfoodcarnivalthattakesplaceworldwidefourtimesayear.ItstartedinFinlandin2011andhasgrownexponentiallytosee8,500restaurantspop-upforadayacross55countries.Theconceptbasedonfourcornerstones;food,social,cultureandcommunalityprovidesanopportunityforexploringquirkyconceptsandengagingwithyourlocalcommunity.

LEARNING:92%offoodtravellersarelookingformemorableexperiences-thesuccessofRestaurantDayconfirmsthis,anddemonstratestheconsumerinterestinengagingwithlocalcommunitiesandconnectingwithpeoplethroughfood.

Restaurant Day Engaging the Locals: A Critical Pillar in Food Tourism Success

Astrid Lindgrens Varldisathemepark,withnorides,dedicatedtoanimatingthestoriesofSweden’smostfamousauthorbestknownforcreatingPippiLongstocking.Theparkisreflectiveofherwritingsthroughouttheexperience,includingfood.Itwasn’talwaysso,butin2009theymadethedecisiontostopsellingfastfoodtotheir450,000visitorsasitdidn’tappearinthebooks!Theybecame‘Serious about food’.‘It’sallaboutsolutionsifyouwanttogosomewhere!’MikaelAhlerup,GM,AstridLindgrensVarld.

LEARNING:Staytruetoyourfoodculture,authenticityisthenumber1soughtafterexperience-AstridLindgrensVarld’sapproachtofoodisaninspiringexampleofhowyoucanprovideauthenticfoodexperiencesreflectiveofyourfoodcultureonalargescale.

Astrid Lindgrens Varid, Sweden True to our Roots: The Conscious Decision to avoid fast Food

In2009Fia Gulliksson,FoodAmbassadorofJämtland,initiatedÖstersund’ssuccessfulapplicationforCreativeCitiesofGastronomy,asubsetofUNESCO’s Creative Cities Network.In2010ÖstersundbecameaCityofGastronomy,andwasalsoappointedSweden’sfirstFoodCapital.Fiaadvisesto‘writealoveletterandcookupastorm’,proclaimingthatallyouneedisapen,paper,passion,people,picturesandposition.‘Ifyoubuildit,theywillcome’FiaGulliksson.

LEARNING:Foodtourismisnotaboutexpenseorprestige,butaboutuniqueexperiences–asasmallruraltownÖstersundexemplifiesthisthroughitsachievementswhicharefoundedonremainingtruetotheirculinaryculture,tradition and heritage.

Östersund, Sweden Building a Fame - Worthy Culinary Destination

The theory of Nomanomics iscentredaroundtheeconomicimpactofonerestaurantinCopenhagen–Noma, voted the World’s Best Restaurantforthreeconsecutiveyears.Thedegreesofimpacteffect– a)localrestaurantscene;b)thediners;c)localfoodtours;d)thefarmers&producersservicingtheserestaurants;e)thosewhowriteaboutit...thebloggers;f)TheTourismBoards.Animportantfacttonoteisthatjournalists,media,andtouristswouldneverhavetravelledtoNomaifitwasservingFrenchfood...ithadtobeauthentictoitsownfoodculture.‘ThegreatestachievementofRedzepiandthedozensofpeoplethatmakeNomawhatitistodaywillhavebeentoteachacountrytofallinlovewithitsownfood—perhapsforthefirsttime.’MattGoulding

LEARNING:Foodanddrinkneedstobethefoundationofeverydestinationmarketinganddevelopmentstrategy–Copenhagenhassuccessfullyleveragedthiswithan11%increaseintourism,largelycreditedtoNomawhichtheyuseastheirnumberonemarketingresource.

Nomanomics, How One Restaurant is Changing Denmark’s Economy Matt Goulding, Contributing Writer TIME Magazine, USA