Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) invited the representatives and chefs from 23 UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy including Macao for familiarization, exchange and culinary demonstrations in Macao in the past three days. They participated in the City of Gastronomy Showcase and visited local wet markets and distinctive bazaars, besides joining internal meeting, which fostered preservation, innovation and exchange among Creative Cities of Gastronomy. Their exchange reinforced gastronomy as an impetus for the cities’ sustainable development and showed Macao’s strengths as an international exchange platform.

The largest City of Gastronomy Showcase to date

At present, there are 49 UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy around the world. 23 of them participated in the exchange and familiarization activities at the 11^th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (MITE) at Macao’s invitation. One of the major highlights, the City of Gastronomy Showcase, engaged close to half of all the Cities of Gastronomy in the world this year, the highest participation and the largest City of Gastronomy Showcase to date. Chefs presented a total of 24 sessions of culinary showcase, drawing a great number of spectators for a taste of the delicacies. The Showcase enjoyed great applause and was live broadcast on MITE’s website, engaging over 90,000 views online.

Culinary collaboration and exchange among renowned chefs

During the occasion, chefs from different Cities of Gastronomy and the local integrated resorts and hotels encountered for culinary collaboration and exchange as follows: chefs from Usuki (Japan) hosted a master class for team members of The Venetian Macao; chefs from Popayan (Colombia), Tsuruoka (Japan), Merida (Mexico) and Phuket (Thailand) partnered with the chef team from Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16 to present a feast, whereas the chefs from Santa Maria da Feira (Portugal) and San Antonio (USA) joined hands with the chefs at MGM in presenting a feast, creating a memorable cultural symphony of flavors for patrons.

Meetings enhance exchange and cooperation

The delegates of the Creative Cities of Gastronomy rode on the occasion to participate in the internal meeting presided by Gastronomy Cluster Coordinator for the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) and Mérida Focal Point for the UCCN, Eduardo Seijo. Secretary of UCCN, Denise Bax, and Project Officer of UCCN, Qiaobo Ni, attended the meeting as well. Member cities discussed different work affairs related to the development of Creative Cities of Gastronomy at the meetings which facilitated exchange and cooperation among the cities.

Familiarization visit for an experience of “tourism +”

MGTO specially arranged for around 70 representatives and chefs of the Creative Cities of Gastronomy to visit local wet markets and distinctive bazaars in Macao and Coloane neighborhoods, explore the World Heritage – Historic Centre of Macao, the Macao Grand Prix Museum and the newly-opened Lai Chi Vun Shipyards, for an experience of the traditional fishing culture and Macao’s gastronomic culture and “tourism +” profoundly. Chefs showed great interest in the use of local fresh food ingredients. The delegation also enjoyed sightseeing and spending in local communities, which was a boon for the community economy bolstered by the synergistic effect.