The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) is working to promote gastronomic tourism into the Eastern Visayas by integrating local cuisine in standard tour packages.
DOT Eastern Visayas Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said local dishes should be integrated into the experience of visitors as part of food tourism.
Gastronomic tourism is, at present, one of the primary factors driving the global travel industry.
According to Tiopes: “When you visit a place, the first thing we ask, of course, is where do we stay? But after that, it always says, where do we eat? Local food enhances the tourism industry.”
Fundamental to tourism
A recent report from the United Nations World Tourism Organization points out how food is a central part of the tourism experience, making up one-third of a tourist’s expenses and thus contributing to local economies.
Tiopes added that, while food tourism cannot yet be measured by a specific percentage, it needs to be taken seriously among tour inclusions.
She said: “We cannot quantify it by saying that a certain percentage of tourists came because they want our food because we integrate food into all tours. Food tourism is truly a natural part of the whole experience.”
In which case, she encouraged hotels and restaurants to serve local foods, particularly during seminars and events attended by visitors from outside the region.
A plethora of specialities
Among the Eastern Visayas’ most beloved delicacies are binagol (a sweetened tuber puree pressed into half a coconut shell), moron (a mix of sticky rice and cocoa wrapped with banana leaves), pastillas (fudge made from carabao milk), suman (a combination of white and brown glutinous rice), smoked fish, a variety of native biscuits, and chocolate tablets for making Spanish-style hot chocolate.
DOT has lined up several activities this year to advance tourism, such as food safety, culinary skills development programs, workshops on street food, fusion cuisine, and other culinary techniques to enhance local flavors and adapt to modern demands.
