Asean countries are using gastronomy to drive regional tourism and develop local agriculture.
The Asean Gastronomy Network was established at a meeting in Bangkok on Wednesday, where five experts from each of the 10 member nations of Asean were selected to accelerate plans to meet the goal for the region to be part of the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism in the future.
The goal was set at a meeting in January 2018 by Asean tourism ministers. The aim is to use gastronomy tourism to help build sustainable development for local farm workers and reduce poverty.
Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said it's vital for provinces to promote gastronomy tourism if there are no natural attractions such as beaches, mountains or waterfalls.
"Gastronomy is much more than eating and drinking fancy or well-known delicious dishes at tourist destinations," he said at the forum, organised by the ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
"Food tourism comprises a continuum that extends from production such as farming and agro-tourism, then the story behind every recipe with traditional and unique cooking processes and presentations, through to post-consumption such as souvenir products and food waste management, leading to food sustainability as well."
Food tourism is an efficient way to create income for lots of people in the food industry. Moreover, the younger generations are welcome to express their creativity and identity through the art of food, Mr Weerasak said.
Thailand took a coordinating role in the founding of the Asean Gastronomy Network to strengthen sustainable gastronomy tourism in the region. The network is the key mechanism to activate the joint declaration on gastronomy tourism cooperation, presented and adopted by Asean tourism ministers at the meeting in Chiang Mai on Jan 26, 2018.
The bloc believes gastronomy could be an effective tool to boost tourism in the region, which received some 127 million visitors in 2017.
Juthamas Wisansing, director of the Asean Gastronomy Project, said the aim is to promote sustainable tourism by raising awareness among people of health issues and healthy eating lifestyles by using ingredients produced by organic farming.
"Gastronomy goes far beyond the plate; it is the platform with which we can communicate our local stories and identities to tourists," she said.
