Inclusive economic participation
Opening the food economy to township, rural and women-led enterprises so that tourism spend reaches the people who grow, cook and serve.
About the conference
A working conference on food, tourism and shared economic value
The International Conference on Gastronomy Value Chain for Tourism and Economic Development is a three-day gathering in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, hosted by the Graduate Centre for Management at Cape Peninsula University of Technology in partnership with a Community Tourism Organisation.
Main theme
“Leveraging Gastronomy Value Chains for Inclusive Tourism Growth and Economic Development”
Gastronomy sits at the intersection of agriculture, culture, small enterprise and tourism. When the links between producers, processors, chefs and hospitality buyers are weak, visitor spend leaks out of the destination. When they are strong, food tourism becomes one of the most direct routes to inclusive economic participation. The conference treats the gastronomy value chain as an economic development instrument, not a marketing theme, and works towards outputs that policymakers and practitioners can act on.
The five sub-themes
Where the programme will focus
Value-chain integration
Linking smallholder producers, processors, distributors, chefs and hospitality buyers into reliable, traceable local supply chains.
Destination branding through food heritage
Positioning indigenous cuisine, culinary routes and living food traditions as a distinctive competitive asset for South African destinations.
Policy coherence
Aligning tourism, agriculture, small-business and municipal policy so that gastronomy development is funded, regulated and measured consistently.
Business events as catalysts
Using conferences, expos and food festivals to build demand, transfer skills and leave measurable legacy value in host communities.
Who attends
Around 300 delegates are expected: national and provincial policymakers, destination managers, academics and researchers, chefs and culinary professionals, tourism SMMEs, community enterprises and international observers.
Intended outputs
Policy briefs for national and provincial tourism authorities, a stakeholder report on gastronomy value-chain readiness, and a set of practical partnership commitments between destinations, producers and community enterprises.