2024 Food Tourism Development Conference was successfully held in Hengyang, Hunan

On September 21, the "2024 Food Tourism Development Conference" was held in Hengyang, Hunan, jointly sponsored by the China Tourism Research Institute, Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Hengyang Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Hengyang Municipal People's Government, hosted by the Hunan Provincial Tourism Association, Hengyang Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, Film and Television, and Sports, and Hengyang Municipal Bureau of Commerce, and supported by the World Federation of Chinese Restaurants. The conference focused on the theme of "integration, innovation and high-quality development". Through keynote speeches, results releases, case releases and experience sharing, and guest dialogues, it aims to implement the important speeches and instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on cultural and tourism work, implement the spirit of the National Tourism Development Conference, explore the in-depth integration and innovative development path of "food + tourism", and promote the high-quality development of Chinese food tourism. The event was hosted by Shang Bin, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

Zhu Jian, deputy secretary of the CPC Hengyang Municipal Committee and mayor of the Municipal People's Government, mentioned in his welcome speech that Hengyang uses food to spread Hengyang culture and promote industrial development. He warmly invited all guests to visit Hengyang and experience Hengyang's food and culture.

Li Aiwu, Deputy Minister of the Publicity Department of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, said in his speech that Hunan's food tourism has broad prospects. Hunan Province is committed to using food to open up a new track for the integration of culture and tourism and to promoting high-quality development of cultural tourism.

In the keynote speech session, Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, delivered a keynote speech entitled "How to Build a World-Class Food Tourism City", which explored how to build a world-class food tourism city from three aspects: market, product and brand building. He pointed out that the development of Chinese-style food tourism must be based on the reality of mass tourism and catering, and pay attention to tourists' needs for food culture connotation, cultural exchanges and civilization dialogue. In the name of tourism, with profound cultural heritage, persistent quality control, and the warmest attitude, let thousands of tourists empathize with the city.

In her keynote speech entitled "The Prospects of Food Tourism Are Broad and Empower High-Quality Urban Development", Xing Ying, President of the World Federation of Chinese Cuisine, analyzed the connotation and connection between food tourism and tourism food, and pointed out that food tourism is closely related to the development of urban characteristic industries. The government and enterprises can create new demand through characteristic supply, attract new supply through segmented demand, and continue to create a strong cultural and tourism consumption atmosphere.

Mao Fang, vice president of Meituan, delivered a keynote speech titled "New Opportunities for the Integrated Development of Food and Tourism", sharing consumption data on cultural tourism and catering in Hunan and Hengyang, and pointed out that the innovative development of the integration of food and tourism presents new trends such as cross-coordination of business formats and scenarios, tourists paying more attention to local characteristic elements, and increasingly obvious "localization" characteristics.

During the report sharing session, Dr. Wu Fenglin, Director of the Planning and Leisure Research Institute of the China Tourism Research Institute, released the "2024 China Food Tourism Development Report" on behalf of the Food Tourism Research Group. The report systematically sorted out the new formats of "food + culture" integrated development, the logic of the food Internet celebrity phenomenon, and the strategic value of culture to food tourism, and gave policy recommendations on how food culture can empower the high-quality development of food tourism. Dr. Li Hui from the Planning and Leisure Research Institute of the China Tourism Research Institute released the "2024 Hunan Food Tourism Development Report" on behalf of the Food Tourism Research Group. The report summarizes the experience of Hunan in developing food tourism from the aspects of value exploration of local food and culture, product innovation, industrial integration and brand cultivation, and is divided into three parts: government-led, diversified participation, integrated marketing, image upgrading, and optimized supply and improved satisfaction.

Dr. Jiang Naiyuan from the Planning and Leisure Research Institute of the China Tourism Academy released the "Hengyang Food Tourism Phenomenon" on behalf of the Food Tourism Research Group. The report introduces the ancient and modern relationship between Hengyang food tourism and fire from the perspective of Hengyang's fire culture, focusing on Hengyang's tourism demand, tourist preferences, market supply and development prospects for in-depth analysis and discussion.

The conference released the list of “2024 Food Tourism Integration Development Cases” and “2024 Food Tourism Innovation Development Cases”.

In the experience sharing session, Fan Xinghong, Director of the Industrial Development Division and First-level Researcher of the Anhui Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, gave a keynote speech entitled "Polishing the "Anhui Good Taste" Brand Innovation to Promote the Integrated Development of Food and Tourism". Anhui has created a new business card for cultural tourism by creating the "Anhui Good Taste" food tourism brand; by creating food scenes, it has enhanced the new experience of cultural tourism; by integrating food and tourism, it has stimulated new momentum for cultural tourism.

Qiu Kai, founder of Tangshan Banquet and chairman of Kaigeer Group, gave a speech on the theme of "Cultural Tourism Integration and Product Innovation in Tangshan Banquet Project". Tangshan Banquet reshapes local culture, takes characteristic food as the core, integrates food, tourism, folklore, performing arts, culture, research, cultural creation and other elements, and creates an immersive and panoramic new space for the integrated development of cultural tourism, commerce, food and tourism.

Fei Lianghui, the founder of "Chef Fei's Stir-fried Pork with Chili", winner of the Golden Chef Award, and master of Hunan cuisine, shared his experience in the case study "Chef Fei: Making Stir-fried Pork with Chili Become a National Dish", introducing the training methods of professional chefs and the innovative secrets of national dishes. Chef Fei combines food with cultural tourism by launching cultural and creative porcelain in collaboration with museums, and while inheriting the Hunan catering culture, he has embarked on an innovative development path of "food + tourism".

Gu Wenliang, Chairman of Chongqing Hualiyanxiang Catering Management Co., Ltd. and Producer of Liyan Baguo Regional Culture Catering Show, shared the theme of "Hometown Stories in Regional Culture Catering Show". "Liyan Baguo" deeply explores regional culture, creates a regional cultural banquet featuring food + culture + interpretation + technology, promotes Chongqing's 3,000-year history and culture, and provides innovative references for upgrading banquet and catering spaces, innovation of cultural and tourism scenic spot categories, and upgrading of shopping mall property models.

The guest dialogue session was hosted by Dr. Wu Fenglin. Wu Bin, Deputy General Manager of Sichuan Tourism Investment Group Co., Ltd., Wang Wenjiang, Deputy Secretary-General of the World Federation of Chinese Cuisine, Feng Guohua, Chinese cooking master, Chinese Hunan cuisine master and founder of Nong Geng Ji, Zheng Shuguo, Chinese cooking master, inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, fourth-generation inheritor of Harbin’s time-honored brand "Lao Chu Jia" and President of Heilongjiang Food Culture Research Association, Huang Qiuyan, Director of Quanzhou Nan'an Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Zhang Jianfu, General Manager of Zhejiang Yishi Culture Communication Co., Ltd., and other guests had a lively discussion on topics such as the practical experience, development trends and innovative strategies of the development of China's food tourism.

Contributor | Planning and Leisure Research Institute Editor | Liu Xin Source | China Tourism Academy (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism) Please indicate the source for reprinting