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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estaurants Public Food
FIVE AREAS OF
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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: [email protected]
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