Gastronomy & Culinary Tourism

The importance of the food experience for the traveler was focused on at the seventh International Meetings and Incentives Conference (IMIC), which took place last month at the Megaron Athens International Conference Center.

The first “National Council of Gastronomy,” held under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization, will take place at the 6th HO.RE.CA. scheduled for 3-6 February at the ExpoAthens exhibition center in Anthousa, eastern Attica.

Greek breakfast will be established in all hotels of the country as a start of the promotion of Greek cuisine as one of the most key representative forms of Greek tourism, Hellenic Chamber of Hotels representative, Yiorgos Pittas, said recently.

The 42nd Xenia exhibition (26-29 November) will host the food event “Kalimera! with taste” at the Metropolitan Expo center at Athens International Airport.

Greece was the country of honor at the World Travel Fair in Shanghai where it also received the award for “Most Popular European Destination” from Shanghai municipality.

The Hellenic Tourism Organization now offers a special Greek cuisine emblem to any eating establishment that adheres to some very strict health, hygiene and quality standards. During a special event held to launch the emblem, the minister explained that today’s tourist wants not only contact with nature and history but also to taste life in the country he or she visits.

A few years back, some Greek gastronomists created the Center for the Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Greek Gastronomy. Today, one of the center’s most successful projects created is the “Archestratos” program, named after an ancient Greek poet who scribed the Greek dishes he had tasted while traveling throughout the country. Through this program, the wealth of traditional Greek gastronomy is taught, experienced and promoted within the marketplace.