KUCHING, Oct 26: Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN) Kuching is calling on tourism players, food producers, festival organisers and communities to submit proposals for gastronomic tour packages which can form part of the city’s action plan under its Unesco designation as a City of Gastronomy by Nov 30, 2023.
According to a media release, the call for proposals under an important collaboration between UCCN Kuching, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) and Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) was launched during the Gastronomic Tourism Forum, which gathered 60 participants from various sectors, at Telang Usan Hotel yesterday (Oct 25).
UCCN Kuching head Dato Wee Hong Seng pointed out that gastronomic tourism, which is a current travel trend, is an excellent fit for Kuching.
“We have wonderful food, of course, but also unique food systems which are the cornerstone of our culture. Our infrastructure is already in place, from wet markets to kopitiam to festivals, and this supports thousands of people in the city.
“We have unique ingredients, grown sustainably by thousands of smallholders. All this can be shared with our visitors,” he said when addressing the forum.
Wee, who is also Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor, emphasised that Kuching’s designation as a Creative City of Gastronomy can also support local tourism providers through cross-promotion, greater international awareness and excellent destination branding.
“Unesco sees responsible tourism as an important sustainable development driver which can help our gastronomy sector to grow. This is why we have committed to launching a series of gastronomic packages as part of our four-year action plan. But we need the industry experts to turn this into a reality,” he added.
UCCN Kuching has therefore kicked off this chain with a forum, sharing on the Creative Cities Network and its role in gastronomic tourism.
It is now calling on industry players from the relevant sectors who either are already conducting or are interested to conduct gastronomic tours under the Unesco designation’s umbrella to propose their ideas by Nov 30, 2023.
These can be fully formed packages or even simple proposals which are still seeking support or capacity.
UCCN Kuching can assist with curation and connection to other stakeholders. Alongside STB, it can promote these packages through the Creative Cities network. These tours can then form part of an important branding collective for Kuching as a Creative City of Gastronomy.
This forum is the start of a process. It will be the first of many sharing opportunities by UCCN Kuching on gastronomic tourism for Sarawak. UCCN Kuching is calling the local community to not miss out on being part of this exciting journey.
For more information, those interested may contact Karen Shepherd at 016-8505743 or email uccnkuching@kuchingcreativecity.com. — DayakDaily
