The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) launched a roadmap to position the country as a top food and gastronomy destination in Southeast Asia by 2029 last 28th May.
The Food and Gastronomy Tourism Strategic Framework and Roadmap 2024-2029 will help map out renowned cuisine hubs in key destinations such as Metro Manila, Pampanga, Cebu, and Iloilo.
The roadmap will help facilitate the creation of guidelines for food circuits across the country and help local governments curate travel routes, highlighting culinary diversity and local produce in these areas.
The developmental scheme also covers the development of specific food and gastronomy tourism segments such as farm, factory, and market tours.
A storied first
Tourism secretary Christina Frasco said this is the first time the government is incorporating food and gastronomy as a central pillar of the Philippine tourism strategy.
She said: “This is a historic moment. For the first time, gastronomy has been formally incorporated in the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP), not as an afterthought, but as a central pillar of our tourism strategy.”
Frasco also underscored the huge potential of Filipino cuisine that every region has to offer as a motivation to attract both locals and foreigners to travel around the country.
The roadmap’s launch also featured the introduction of training modules to fast-track the development of market tourism in the Philippines, a sub-product of the country's broader food and gastronomy tourism product.
The modules outline an action plan to train and equip tourism stakeholders to transform local markets into tourist attractions.
Food and Gastronomy Tourism will be classified as a sub-product under Cultural Tourism in the 2023-2028 NTDP, alongside historical and cultural heritage; arts; living; pilgrimage; and creative tourism.
The DOT envisions gastronomy tourism in the Philippines to become an experience that goes beyond trying out Filipino dishes and delving into the stories behind local ingredients, culinary traditions, and techniques.
Relevant authorities are set to develop this tourism product in a way that invites travelers to understand how centuries of trade, migration, colonisation, and cultural exchange have shaped the country’s diverse food identity.
