GSTC Introduces Plant-Based Food Standard for Certified Hotels

Good practices in the development of gastronomy tourism | UN Tourism & Basque Culinary Center 🌍 Gastronomy tourism has become a strategic driver of sustainable destination development. It creates authentic visitor experiences while strengthening local economies, preserving cultural heritage, supporting regional identity, and connecting food, people, traditions, and landscapes in ways that generate long-term value for communities and tourism businesses. Successful destinations show that strategic planning, strong governance, and collaboration between public institutions, private businesses, producers, educators, and local communities are essential. Innovation, digitalization, professional training, and quality management help transform gastronomy into a competitive advantage while protecting authenticity and encouraging responsible tourism. Eight international case studies from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czechia, Mexico, Slovenia, Spain, and the Basque Country demonstrate how gastronomy can diversify tourism, reduce seasonality, support rural development, and strengthen destination branding through practical initiatives that preserve culinary traditions, promote local products, and encourage entrepreneurship. These experiences also show that gastronomy tourism contributes to environmental, social, and economic sustainability. By valuing local food systems, strengthening value chains, supporting producers, and creating memorable experiences rooted in local culture, destinations can build more resilient and inclusive tourism models that create lasting benefits for residents, visitors, and future generations. 👇 Check the report to discover practical examples, strategic recommendations, and inspiring initiatives that show how destinations can transform gastronomy into a catalyst for innovation, resilience, competitiveness, and sustainable growth while delivering authentic experiences that create value for both communities and travelers. #Innovation #Sustainability #TourismDevelopment #DestinationManagement

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has introduced a new Food and Beverage Standard that requires companies seeking GSTC certification to ensure at least 30% of main dishes and meal options are plant-based or predominantly plant-based, defined as at least 95% plant-based by weight. https://lnkd.in/gNUbpAmn

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has introduced a new Food and Beverage Standard that requires companies seeking GSTC certification to ensure at least 30% of main dishes and meal options are plant-based or predominantly plant-based, defined as at least 95% plant-based by weight. https://lnkd.in/gJMqwMKx

Harare, July 2026 — The Cabinet’s approval of the Zimbabwe Gastronomy Tourism Strategy (2026–2030) marks a revolutionary milestone in the nation’s tourism agenda. For the first time, gastronomy — the art and culture of food — has been elevated as a priority high-value tourism product, designed to accelerate Zimbabwe’s transformation into a competitive and sustainable destination by 2030...  #africa #Gastronomy #tourism #Zimbabwe

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has introduced a new Food and Beverage Standard that requires companies seeking GSTC certification to ensure at least 30% of main dishes and meal options are plant-based or predominantly plant-based, defined as at least 95% plant-based by weight. https://lnkd.in/gMVkP8Cw

The restaurant reservation is the new flight search. Culinary travel has crossed a threshold in 2026. According to the World Food Travel Association, 60% of tourists now say local food directly influences where they choose to go — and "foodcations" have become the #2 reason people book trips, second only to experiential travel broadly. That's not a niche. That's a market. Fall is where this gets interesting. Harvest festivals, truffle routes, wine-country crush season, wild mushroom foraging — autumn is the most food-rich travel window of the year, and a growing segment of travelers is building entire itineraries around it. What's shifting the needle isn't the food itself. It's the format. Passive dining is out. Participation is in. The travelers spending the most — and staying the longest — want to make the paella, walk the market, meet the cheesemaker. They're not looking for a great meal; they're looking for a great story that happens to involve a great meal. For hotel operators, restaurant groups, and destination marketers, the question this fall is simple: are you planning for a guest who chose your location because of the food? Or are you treating F&B as an amenity rather than the draw? The harvest table is set. Who's pulling up a chair? #CulinaryTravel #FoodTourism #HospitalityIndustry #FoodAndBeverage #TravelTrends

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has introduced a new Food and Beverage Standard that requires companies seeking GSTC certification to ensure at least 30% of main dishes and meal options are plant-based or predominantly plant-based, defined as at least 95% plant-based by weight. https://lnkd.in/g2Px5vYB

FHAM 2026 drawing decision-makers from over 170 Maldivian resorts to a single trade platform — with a Sri Lankan managing director explicitly framing it as the connective tissue between global suppliers and the country's import-driven tourism sector — shows the resort supply chain scaling in lockstep with the destination's growth, not lagging behind it. #investinmaldives https://lnkd.in/gau8vXJT

Travel has subtly reshaped the restaurant industry, evolving from a source of inspiration into a defining mindset. Dining concepts are no longer limited by geography but are increasingly influenced by global exposure, personal travel experiences, and cross-cultural exchanges. Nearly 20% of global leisure travellers now seek dining as a central part of their journeys while four in five millennials prioritize trying new restaurants when they travel. Read more on the link below: https://lnkd.in/dzY89UyT Mayank Bhatt Chef Beena Noronha #restaurants #restaurantindia #travel #hospitality #business #markets

Travel has quietly rewritten the rules of the restaurant industry. It’s no longer just a source of inspiration; it has become a way of thinking. What was once shaped by geography is now influenced by exposure, personal experiences and cultural exchange. Restaurants in turn are evolving beyond places to dine; they are becoming curated journeys that transform destinations into dishes and experiences into stories. Travel is no longer a secondary influence; it is a core demand driver for restaurants. Nearly 20% of global leisure travellers now seek dining as a central part of their journeys while four in five millennials prioritize trying new restaurants when they travel. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g9jp7MJN Chef Beena Noronha | Ashish Dev Kapur | Mayank Bhatt #CulinaryTourism #TravelDining #HospitalityInnovation #FoodTravel #RestaurantStrategy