TORONTO — The Culinary Tourism Alliance, in partnership with George Brown College, recently hosted more than 250 tourism-and-hospitality professionals at the inaugural Taste of Place Summit held at the George Brown College Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts in downtown Toronto.
“Today’s summit is the result of a three-year collaboration [with George Brown College] and is a great example of a partnership between a not-for-profit organization, the Culinary Tourism Alliance, and the academic institution that is George Brown College,” said Rebecca Mackenzie, president and CEO of the Culinary Tourism Alliance. “This summit is bringing people together from across the country and around the globe. We have speakers joining us from Newfoundland all the way to B.C. We also have a number of guests joining us from different destinations within the United States, from Flanders, Belgium, as well as some joining us virtually from Turkey. So, we’re certainly making our mark across the country and around the world.”
“We’re really excited to be hosting this inaugural event and providing a forum for tourism leaders from across Canada and around the world to connect and share,” said Dr. Eileen De Courcy, vice-president, Academic, George Brown College. “It’s an exciting time for hospitality and the tourism businesses as we collectively emerge from a global pandemic and re-imagine the experiences that can be offered and there’s such huge potential to advance and transform the culinary-tourism industry. The rapid growth of this sector is why we are grateful for our partnership with the Culinary Tourism Alliance — a collaboration focused on growing food tourism as a meaningful and sustainable contributor to local economies around the world.”
The event combined experiential learning along with sessions to inspire destination and economic developers, thought leaders, marketers, and tourism operators to build their tastes of place and put food tourism front and centre for their destinations.
“The Summit aims to provoke discussions around bridging the gap between the food, drink, and travel industries,” said Mackenzie. “By increasing visitor demand for local food and drink, food tourism drives innovation and builds on existing tourism assets, while preserving local heritage and contributing to the long-term sustainability of local food systems, communities, and culture.”
The event began with an Explore Waterloo Region Taste of Place experience — a trip through the backroads of rural Ontario to meet the incredible people who make it all happen. Stops included an agritourism experience at Mountainoak Cheese; lunch at Langdon Hall Hotel and Spa prepared by chef Jason Bangerter; and a tour and tasting at Feast On-certified Willibald Farm Brewery and Distillery.
The second day of the Summit saw attendees engage with a line-up of national and international speakers, network with industry leaders, and explore trends in food, beverage, and travel.
The first panel, titled Growing Culinary Tourism in North Star Cities, was moderated by Gloria Loree, Senior VP & Chief Marketing Officer, Destination Canada and included Monica Orr, team leader, Travel Trade and Media Relations, Tourisme Montréal; Scott Beck, president and CEO, Destination Toronto; and Royce Chwin, president and CEO, Destination Vancouver. The panel discussed challenges the culinary tourism sector faces in different parts of the country and shared strategies for overcoming them.
A series of case studies followed the panel, highlighting global best practices from markets around the world, including Turkey, Flanders in the Netherlands and Tucson, Arizona.
Attendees were treated to a Feast On lunch featuring dishes curated by chefs Joel Gray and Hannah Harradine of Down Home – Sumac + Salt; chef Ricky and chef Olivia Simpson of Ricky + Olivia; chef Aicha Smith of Esha’s Eats; and chef Ravinder Singh of Bindia Indian Bistro.
The afternoon program featured a number of sessions, including a look at a provincial approach to Indigenous Culinary Tourism with speakers Kevin Eshkawkogan, CEO of Indigenous Tourism Ontario and Paul Owl, founder, Tree Teas Brewing. Other session topics included Trail to Success – Agritourism Best Practices; National Indigenous Culinary Tourism Experiences; and The Chef’s Role in Leading Sustainbility in Culinary Tourism, which featured chef Jason Bangerter, executive chef, Relais & Chàteaux Langdon Hall in conversation with Katie Bridges, editor, Foodism Magazine.
