The Culinary Route of Tunisia was presented this Tuesday, January 18, as part of Fitur, Madrid Tourism Fair. In the act, inaugurated by Mrs. Fatma Omrani Chargui, Ambassador of Tunisia in Spain and Mrs. Mouna Ghliss, Director General of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts of Tunisia, also participated Mrs. Leila Tekaia, Director of the Office of Tourism of Tunisia in Spain, and Mrs. Katrin Gerhard, Head of Component Promotion of Sustainable Tourism of the German Cooperation organization GIZ*.
The Culinary Route is the new tourist offer promoted by the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts in partnership with the GIZ, a tourist co-creation offer that invites travelers to discover the Tunisian culinary heritage through creative experiences, declined around of six flagship products: “Cheese from the North-West”, “Harissa from Cap Bon”, “Olive oil from the Center and Dahar”, “Wine from the North”, “Dates from the South-West » and « the Octopus of Kerkennah », chosen in consultation with the working group formed by representatives of the trades operating in the theme, namely: the Ministry of Tourism, the ONTT, the Tunisian Association of Professionals of the Culinary Art, the General Directorate of Organic Agriculture and the Tunisian Federation of Tourist Restaurants.
Tunisia has all the assets to seduce travelers in search of authentic and human cultural experiences. As Mrs. Mouna Ghliss pointed out, La Route Culinaire is part of the strategy and vision of the Ministry, which consists in diversifying the offer and the outbound markets, to attract new profiles of tourists.
The Ambassador congratulated this initiative and expressed her support for this tourist project which conveys Tunisian values and cultural richness.
The Culinary Route aims to promote the diversity of Tunisian culinary heritage in all its forms, thanks to tourism that meets the criteria of quality and authenticity.
The route will offer tourists the opportunity to discover the country through its flagship products by inviting them to explore an ancestral culinary heritage combining immersion and taste experience.
In addition to promoting new tourist attractions, the Culinary Route offers itself as a model of virtuous tourism, satisfying a large number of Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, particularly with regard to respect for ecosystems. natural, economic and social, by converting culinary know-how into new drivers of attractiveness and inclusion for the territories.
In fact, one of the added values of this project is based on its participatory and inclusive approach, by inviting local actors in the agricultural, cultural and tourist sectors of the regions concerned to benefit from training delivered by international experts, as well as from support through to marketing in emerging markets.
New opportunities that the travel agents and tour operators present in particular perceived, for whom “the Culinary Route opens up an infinity of possibilities both in terms of diversification, seasonal adjustment or geographical distribution, but also the positioning of Tunisia as a cultural and authentic destination. »
The Culinary Route is thus intended to be a lever for circular and sustainable economic development, in particular through the creation of jobs, by the simple optimization of existing resources, whether natural, cultural, or human.
The Harissa is an example. Recognized as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO last December, it will be at the heart of the experiences designed by professionals from the Cap Bon region, as part of the program. Tourists will thus be able to discover, in addition to the flavors, and the know-how, by participating themselves in its elaboration. A model which will be declined in the 6 previously defined culinary regions.
Through a range of experiences designed for the most diverse targets – from the adventurous traveler to premium tourism, via MICE, the Culinary Route will offer a differentiating element that will position Tunisia among the most popular Mediterranean destinations for quality and off-season tourism.
The project was presented by Caroline Couret, director of the Creative Tourism Network, the organization in charge of the implementation of the Culinary Route.
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* The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a German federal enterprise active in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. In Tunisia since 1975, the GIZ implements development projects within the framework of Tunisian-German cooperation, and this in four sectors, with particular emphasis on the development of rural areas: sustainable management of natural resources, renewable energy and energy efficiency, sustainable economic development and employment promotion, as well as regional development, local governance and democracy.
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The project “Promotion of Sustainable Tourism in Tunisia” is implemented by the Ministry of Tourism with the support of GIZ and jointly funded by the European Union as part of its Tounes Wijhetouna – تونس وجهتنا program and by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
