GoingToMeet

The World Cuisines Show 2008 (WCS’08), to be staged in Singapore from July 25-27, 2008, is a global marketplace where countries around the world gather under one roof to showcase their cuisines and cultural activities. National tourism authorities from more than 130 countries have been invited to participate in this inaugural international show.

Globally, gastronomic tourism is coming up as a form of special interest tourism in which food and beverages are the main motivating factors for travel to a desired destination. Studies have shown that food plays an important part in the holiday experience of everyone, consciously or unconsciously.

Tourism authorities around the world are realizing the potential of gastronomic tourism as a powerful tool to identify and promote places, regions or entire countries.

Global trends have identified that gastronomic tourists are looking for a more participatory style of holiday experience, which satisfies their interest in food and beverages and contributes to their personal development and social status or ‘cultural capital’. There is a shift from ‘passive observation’ towards ‘interactive involvement’, whereby the visitor comes into close contact with locals and their way of life.