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Corfu Food and Wine Festival in May

culinary tourism
16 Feb 2018 / 09:49

CORFU. The island of the Phaeacians is seeking to claim a share of the Culinary Tourism market.

Culinary tourism is the tourism of experience and emotion (‘emotional tourism’ as it is now called). A worldwide trend which Corfu is now aiming to become a part of.
 
The 1st Corfu Food & Wine Festival will take place from 9th-13th May and aims to become an annual event at the beginning of each tourist season - in May this year, April next year, and whenever the tourist season begins in the future - showcasing new Corfu products.
 
Why us?
 
The hospitality shown towards Odysseus on the island of the Phaeacians, as recorded by Homer, is the first written reference to a social and culinary celebration.
 
The Festival is being co-organized by: the Ionian Islands Regional Authority (Corfu area), the Municipality of Corfu, the Ionian University, the Hoteliers Union, the Federation of Tourist Accommodation Businesses, Travel Agencies, Corfu Port Authority, the Association of Restaurant and Related Professions and the Chefs Club. The Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) and The Ministry of Tourism are supporting the festival and the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) is Media Sponsor.
 
Who will participate?
 
Primary Sector: producers (wine, honey, oil, dairy products etc.)
 
Secondary Sector: processing and packaging (wineries, breweries, charcuterie, jams etc.)
 
Tertiary Sector: catering, hotels, traders.
 
In order to achieve international recognition, the Organizing Committee considers it essential to have the participation of international personalities - distinguished chefs and sommeliers, as well as journalists. One of these will be Leonid Gelibterman, President of the International Center of Wine and Gastronomy of Moscow.
 
Publicity
 
To gain the maximum possible publicity, ERT will be the media sponsor and GNTO will show the promo-video in ‘Visit Greece’. At this time discussions are also being held with airlines such as Aegean, Sky Express and RyanAir to promote the Festival. Twin municipalities and other related destinations will also be involved. This year, the Municipality and Chamber of Parma have been invited.
 
The Festival programme
 
On the first day of the festival there will be a big party - a culinary and musical celebration in Spianada, with Ionian music performed by Philharmonic bands and choirs. At the same time, there will be street parties with food tasting tours (the tsipouro-snack-bars in Spilia, the Mediterranean flavours in Guildford Street along with Corfu Town restaurants).
 
The following days will be devoted to food-tasting tours in the Corfu countryside - in village squares and other establishments. Through these tours and with the cooperation of local cultural societies, the participants will have the chance to meet the locals and experience their traditional cuisine.
 
There will also be culinary and food-tasting seminars as well as exhibitions - photography, paintings and others.