EU Gastronomy Competition Proposal Applauded

European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki.

European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki recently proposed for the establishment of an annual or biennial gastronomy competition between cities and regions of the EU. The participating countries would compete for the title “European Culinary Excellence.”

In a letter to the European Commission, the commissioner said the award would be given in accordance to strict selection criteria that would apply throughout the whole production process – from the raw materials and food characteristics to the finished dish and satisfaction of the consumer.

The Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) applauded the commissioner’s initiative and said it could benefit Greek tourism.

“The proposal is a first class opportunity to strengthen efforts to improve the gastronomic products and services offered by our country and include gastronomy in the portfolio of Greek tourism,” SETE said in an announcement.

According to SETE, within three to five years, Greek gastronomy could be one of the three key reasons for tourists choosing Greece as their holiday destination.

The association has launched the “Gastrotourism–Food for development” campaign to promote gastronomy tourism and enrich the country’s portfolio in tourism services and products.