The “Macao･Creative City of Gastronomy” work meeting convened yesterday (5 December). Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) updated attendees on the situation of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). Representatives of governmental entities, educational institutions and businesses were invited to share the related work about Macao’s development as a Creative City of Gastronomy.
Leverage network platform to explore wider cooperation
MGTO Director and Macao SAR focal point to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, presided over the meeting. She expressed that MGTO successfully held the first edition of “International Cities of Gastronomy Fest, Macao” in this year of double celebrations, engaging enthusiastic participants. The international event of gastronomic culture gathered delegates from more than half of the UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy from around the world, while representatives of several Mainland’s Creative Cities in other fields also attended the Forum. With the hope to propel the progress towards sustainable development goals in concerted effort with the private sectors, she encouraged enterprises to leverage the platform of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) for sustainable development, exploring the possibilities of wider cooperation and fostering the diversified development of Macao’s tourism industry. As architecture will be included in UCCN as a new creative field next year, along with the opportunities brought by Macao’s designation as a 2025 Culture City of East Asia, Macao can further promote cultural and creative development across the sectors and open up new opportunities.
Join UCCN’s projects and radiate greater influence internationally
At the meeting, MGTO presented an overview of the Office’s participation in various initiatives of UCCN this year. Among them, the Office attended the Annual Conference of UCCN themed as “20 years of UCCN: Bringing youth to the table for the next decade” in Portugal in July, and the first edition of UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy Annual Conference in Thailand in May this year.
Capitalizing on UCCN, the Office also invited the artists and teams from eight Creative Cities of Design to join Light up Macao 2024, which was grandly unveiled in early December, to facilitate collaboration among member cities in different fields and expand the integrated development across other sectors of “tourism +”.
Keep deepening the development of Creative City of Gastronomy
In the field of gastronomy, besides organizing the international event of gastronomic culture, “International Cities of Gastronomy Fest, Macao”, MGTO also launched the “Taste of Macao” Food Promotion Financial Support Program this year, continuous supporting enterprises to bring international lists of best restaurants and mega gastronomic events to Macao through public-private partnerships, in order to promote Macao’s vibrant scene as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy through different channels. Furthermore, the Office organizes related training programs to pass on the gastronomic culture.
In the future, MGTO will continue to deepen Macao’s development as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, join hands with different entities to engage in the work of UCCN and enhance inter-city exchange. The Office will leverage Macao’s unique background and current resources to deepen integration across “tourism +” and promote Macao’s development as a Creative City of Gastronomy, striving to enhance Macao’s international profile and brighten the city’s golden calling card as an international metropolis.
At the meeting, representatives of the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Macau University of Science and Technology, the Macao University of Tourism, Cultural Affairs Bureau, Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, Association of Macau Small and Medium Enterprises of Catering, United Association of Food and Beverage Merchants of Macao, Association of Macao Bakeries of Souvenir Pastries, and the six integrated resort enterprises shared the related work to promote Macao’s development as a Creative City of Gastronomy, including education and training, preservation of skills and expertise, gastronomic events, special dining offers, facility optimization, as well as participation in events, forums, familiarization visits and exchange, among other aspects.
The attendees of the “Macao･Creative City of Gastronomy” 2024 work meeting include: MGTO Deputy Director Cheng Wai Tong, Vice-Rector of the Macao University of Tourism, Diamantina Rosário Coimbra, Dean of the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Macau University of Science and Technology, Ben K. Goh, representatives of Municipal Affairs Bureau, Economic and Technological Development Bureau, Labour Affairs Bureau, Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute, Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, Cultural Affairs Bureau, Environmental Protection Bureau, catering industry associations and integrated resort enterprises, among others.
Macao, China was designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2017. Following the designation, the SAR Government immediately unfolded action plans to develop Macao as a Creative City of Gastronomy with vigorous efforts. Normally, the “Macao･Creative City of Gastronomy” work meeting is held annually.
