The World Tourism Organization in collaboration with the Basque Culinary Center holds the 2nd Global Competition for Gastronomy Tourism Startups.

Its main objective is to identify disruptive startups and projects that can transform the Gastronomy Tourism sector in the near future.

Categories

*Startup
*Social innovation

Calendar

Launch: 28 January 2020
Deadline for applications: 6 April 2020
Announcement finalists: 4 May
Final pitch session and announcement of the winner: 1-3 June

Background

Tourism is a driver of inclusive and sustainable economic growth, a cross-cutting sector with a high impact on the promotion of social welfare, with the aim of promoting the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

With continuous growth in the last decade, tourism generates approximately one in 10 jobs, and accounts for 10.2% of world GDP. At its intersection with the gastronomy sector, food tourism or culinary tourism, it is organized around experiential trips and assumes as part of its essence ethical and sustainable values related to the territory, heritage, local culture, local products, authenticity, tradition or culinary techniques at the local, regional or national level.

Gastronomy tourism stimulates entrepreneurship and the generation of new companies and organizations that necessarily affect other industries transversally and fosters values such as:

*Sustainability based on maintaining a balance between economic growth and gastronomic culture and heritage
*The quality of initiatives from production to experience, along the entire tourism value chain
*Authentic communication and a coherent narrative of gastronomic offerings with the participation of all the stakeholders of the sector; from chefs to the media
*Cooperation among all actors throughout the entire value chain of the gastronomic and tourism sector
*Authenticity by highlighting cultural heritage, local products and cultural values