Catalonia officially recognised as World Region of Gastronomy 2025

The Minister for Business and Labour, Roger Torrent i Ramió, and the Minister for Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda, David Mascort i Subiranas, received the plaque officially naming Catalonia World Region of Gastronomy 2025 from the president of the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT), Diane Dodd, at Gastronomic Forum Barcelona.

The event marks the start of preparations for new initiatives to be held across the territory throughout next year with the aim of positioning Catalonia as a leading global benchmark for food and food-and-wine tourism.

The Catalan government has drawn up a declaration of support so that organisations, players and individuals from the production, hospitality and food-and-wine tourism sectors can join the event's action plan. The document, setting out the commitments anyone wishing to take part must make, is available on the dedicated website for collecting signatures.

The Minister Torrent noted that with this award "we open a new landscape of opportunities for the country and position ourselves worldwide as a benchmark food and wine destination, generating new economic opportunities locally and pulling along different sectors, from the primary sector to hospitality, including the food industry". The business and labour minister said that "the World Region of Gastronomy title reinforces the shift towards a more sustainable, balanced and diversified tourism model, which we are driving through the National Commitment to Responsible Tourism".

On organising the event, the Minister for Climate Action said that "from now on we begin the work of showing the world that gastronomy and farming are two sides of the same coin" and stressed that "behind the kitchens that dazzle the world there are farmers committed to environmental, economic and social sustainability". On the events planned for next year, "we will be ambitious and work to build a programme that becomes a national legacy. We have a unique offer, not only for its culinary distinctiveness but because it reflects every corner of the territory and its people", the climate action minister pledged.

In 2016 Catalonia was awarded the title of European Region of Gastronomy. On that occasion more than 500 organisations, players and individuals working to promote Catalan cuisine held almost 500 activities related to produce, cooking and the territory, of varying size and character.

New initiatives to position Catalonia as a benchmark for food and food-and-wine tourism

Among the new initiatives to be launched next year to showcase food production, Catalan cooking and Catalonia as a quality tourism destination is the International Week of the World Region of Gastronomy, to be held in the main cities and countries with Catalan Government delegations, featuring events such as point-of-sale and restaurant promotions, wine tastings, cultural evenings, debates, food and wine experiences and chef exchanges.

Also notable is the Àpat Catalunya, a mass dinner in a landmark Barcelona street or public space in the style of a village festival, showcasing the most iconic dishes and recipes of Catalan cuisine. Work will also be done to bring the 9th UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Global Conference on Wine Tourism to Catalonia, and there will be the Som Gastronomia Tour 2025, a series of presentations in the main source markets for food and wine tourism to Catalonia, aimed at operators, press and opinion leaders, with a technological and innovative component.

In addition, visibility will be given to our country's 130 distinctive landscapes and the food each of them offers, there will be activities connecting art, sport, culture and Catalan cooking, the National Food Awards will be launched, an intensive international programme will take Catalan farmers, food companies and the gastronomy world around the world, and Benvinguts a Pagès will celebrate its tenth anniversary — a successful initiative that has brought the city closer to the countryside.

World Region of Gastronomy is an initiative run by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT). The title aims to highlight and promote regions that actively contribute to improving people's quality of life by championing different food cultures, health and sustainability education and culinary innovation. The award lends regions credibility, as it is granted by an independent international jury of experts from fields such as tourism, culture, hospitality and farming.

An international jury has ruled in favour of the Catalan bid

Last May an international jury visited Catalonia to see the bid's potential at first hand. The jury assessed, among other things, the dedication and professionalism of those working in the field and their desire to keep improving. It also considers that few places compare with Catalonia, with first-rate cooking where the fusion of flavours and exceptional raw materials make a unique culinary experience possible. It highlights too that the landscapes bear witness to Catalan counties' commitment to quality, sustainability, tradition and innovation.

The World Region of Gastronomy 2025 title showcases Catalan food production, cooking and tourism, as well as the culinary legacy, linked to innovation and talent, that has made Catalonia the country where you eat and drink best in the world. In the coming years the country will have the chance to show that it has excellent food producers, chefs and a tourism sector that made this recognition possible, and that in Catalonia food is culture.