Creative Cities’ delegates and chefs experience Macao’s “tourism +”
The ten-day “2026 International Cities of Gastronomy Fest, Macao” (referred to as the “Fest”) has concluded in success. Delegates and chefs from member cities of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) from worldwide seized the occasion to explore different local neighborhoods on familiarization tours. The chefs from Creative Cities of Gastronomy also conducted gastronomy-related initiatives in collaboration with integrated resort enterprises for exchange and cooperation through gastronomy, which gave play to Macao’s bridging role as an international exchange platform.
Delegates from close to 50 UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy and other creative fields joined the Fest in Macao. Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) tailored six community tours and one bus tour, with about 300 delegates of Creative Cities from worldwide signing up for participation to experience the city’s vibrant “tourism +”. The itineraries included the World Heritage “The Historic Centre of Macao”, traditional crafting of incense sticks, wet markets and restaurants in communities for an immersive journey of local culture and color.
Chefs from Creative Cities of Gastronomy explore communities for mutual learning
To engage in exchange with the local catering sector, delegates and chefs from different Creative Cities of Gastronomy visited eateries and restaurants in communities, from traditional Cantonese teahouse, cooked food stalls in wet market, vegetarian restaurant to Chinese dessert eatery. They tasted signature delicacies and learned about the eateries’ experience of culinary operations. Their visit carried the Office’s hope to foster local catering businesses’ exchange with Creative Cities from worldwide to instill an international perspective and enhance competitive advantages in the sector, as both sides explored the creative momentum in gastronomy that will shape more sustainable urban development.
Conduct diverse “gastronomy +” initiatives in collaboration with integrated resorts for international exchange
The chefs of six Creative Cities of Gastronomy including Bergamo (Italy), Thessaloniki (Greece), Popayán (Colombia), Songkhla (Thailand), Shunde and Quanzhou (China), were invited to conduct a variety of collaborative initiatives with the six integrated resort enterprises for international exchange, including training programs and masterclasses for students and community organizations, exchange with wet market businesses, culinary demonstration, menu design with sustainable ingredients, inspection of solar energy, environmentally-friendly systems such as food waste recycling and water filtration. Deepening exchange on gastronomy and related realms, the various meaningful initiatives were rolled out to support the actualization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
City delegates engage in exchange with universities and enterprises
Riding on the Fest, delegates of Manizales (Colombia) Creative City of Gastronomy and its related enterprises, representatives of UNESCO Chair in Creative Economy and Public Policy from Brazil as well as other cities’ delegates met with Macao’s higher education institutions, related associations and enterprises for a dialogue to build closer connections and facilitate future cooperation in commercial and academic fields.
The “International Cities of Gastronomy Fest, Macao” brought together UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy and other fields from various countries across the globe each year. Besides the major program highlights, MGTO unfolded a series of outreach activities with the hope to offer the delegates of Creative Cities in different fields a first-hand experience of Macao’s “tourism +” offerings in local communities while promoting gastronomic preservation, innovation and exchange among Creative Cities of Gastronomy, including business and academic exchange, manifesting Macao’s strengths as an international platform and a world centre of tourism and leisure.
Manifest Macao’s international connectivity as a Creative City of Gastronomy
Organized by MGTO, the “2026 International Cities of Gastronomy Fest, Macao” presented five major highlights including the “International Gastronomy Promenade”, “City of Gastronomy Showcase”, “International Gastronomy Forum, Macao”, “World Wines Lounge” and “Global Goodies Market”. The event once again reflected Macao’s comprehensive capabilities in organizing mega events, its unique glamour as a Creative City of Gastronomy and contributions to fostering international connectivity. For more information about the Fest’s program, please visit the themed website: https://www.macaotourism.gov.mo/en/article/events/gastronomy-fest-2026.
