HOW IT WORKS
WHAT IS "CULINARY CAPITALS®"?
It is a certification program offered by the World Food Travel Association that facilitates the discovery and appreciation of unique culinary cultures by travelers, especially in smaller or lesser-known destinations.
WHY CERTIFY YOUR DESTINATION?
Eating and drinking are the number one experience enjoyed by all travelers. And in fact, 100% of visitors to a destination eat and drink. They can leave with memories of chain hamburgers and multinational coffee, or you can introduce them to the must-taste foods and beverages in and around your area.
Our research shows that
93% of leisure travelers choose a destination
based on its food and beverage reputation. That is nearly all travelers! If you are not leveraging your area's food and drink as attractions to visitors, then you are missing out on a huge opportunity!
Do you believe in your destination's own intangible culinary culture and heritage? Do you sense that your destination is missing out on thousands of new visitor arrivals each year, all of whom would enjoy learning about your area's culinary culture? Then Culinary Capitals® is a perfect tool to help your destination develop its culinary resources and visibility to attract more visitors.
Impartial Third Party Expert Validation
The World Food Travel Association is the world's leading authority on food and beverage tourism. Consequently, we're in a unique position to evaluate and certify your destination as a potential Culinary Capital. Certification cannot be bought;
it must be earned.
Important Part of Your Regenerative Tourism
Even more than before, every destination in the world is your competition. How can you best compete? Your culinary culture is an obvious and easy way! But it's not as easy as publishing a restaurant guide or page on your website. There is a nuance to telling your destination's culinary story.
Strategy & Marketing Support
Certification is much more than the designation and logo. Certified destinations can get culinary product development and marketing and development advice. Its included in your annual license.
Certification Criteria
We assess various aspects of your destination's culinary culture. We'll send you an application packet that walks you through the process. We'll also meet with you online to explain the process and answer your questions before you begin writing.
Generally speaking, we look for an explanation of your unique dishes and local ingredients, historic recipes, culinary customs, dining etiquette, historic farming techniques, culinary traditions, food or beverage products with DOP/DOC etc. or UNESCO intangible cultural heritage designations and similar characteristics. We also want to know about the unique role of women in developing and promoting your destination's culinary culture. In the application packet, you can include an unlimited number of supporting photos and videos.
Don't worry - you don't need all of these things to qualify. We are experts in helping to identify qualifying assets. We will probably find things that you have not considered - because you see them everyday. To visitors, these products and experience are the "WOW" factor of their stay!
