Understand Your Destination
Culinary Tourism Readiness Assessment
Gain an objective understanding of your destination's strengths, opportunities, and priorities before developing your strategy.
STRATEGY
Strategy advances Taste of Place through action.
WHY GASTRONOMY TOURISM STRATEGY MATTERS
Strategic planning helps destinations protect culinary heritage, align stakeholders, and create stronger visitor economies.
Strong destinations do not happen by accident. Many destinations possess extraordinary culinary traditions but lack a coordinated strategy to protect, develop, and promote them. Without a shared vision, opportunities are missed, investments become fragmented, and the qualities that make a destination distinctive can gradually be lost.
A well-designed gastronomy tourism strategy aligns public and private stakeholders around common goals. It connects producers, restaurants, markets, tourism businesses, cultural organizations, and government agencies to create stronger local food systems, richer visitor experiences, and more resilient destination economies.
WFTA's strategic planning combines global research, practical experience, and local collaboration to create actionable roadmaps that respect each destination's unique identity while supporting sustainable long-term development.
Our Gastronomy Tourism Strategy Services
From initial assessments to comprehensive destination strategies, WFTA offers practical consulting services that help destinations strengthen culinary heritage, align stakeholders, and build more sustainable visitor economies.
CULINARY TOURISM READINESS ASSESSMENT
The Culinary Tourism Readiness Assessment provides destinations with an independent evaluation of their gastronomy tourism potential and a practical roadmap for future development. Through a site visit, stakeholder engagement, and an assessment of your culinary assets, visitor experiences, partnerships, and destination ecosystem, WFTA identifies strengths, opportunities, and priority actions. The result is a comprehensive report with practical recommendations that can stand alone as an actionable roadmap or serve as the foundation for a broader gastronomy tourism strategy.
GASTRONOMY TOURISM STRATEGY & CONSULTING
Every destination has unique culinary traditions, tourism assets, and development goals. WFTA works with governments, destination organizations, development agencies, and industry partners to create practical strategies that strengthen culinary heritage, support local food systems, and build more competitive visitor economies. Whether developing a comprehensive gastronomy tourism strategy or providing targeted strategic advice, our work is grounded in research, stakeholder collaboration, and international best practices.
CAPITALS OF CULINARY CULTURE CERTIFICATION
A great way to get additional visibility for your destination is by sponsoring one or more of our Association's activities. From regional FoodTreX Summits, to market research reports and our podcast, we offer a wide range of opportunities to suit every interest and budget.
DESTINATION ROUNDTABLES
Area Roundtables bring together producers, tourism businesses, destination organizations, government representatives, educators, and other stakeholders to explore opportunities, address challenges, and build a shared vision for gastronomy tourism. Facilitated by WFTA, these collaborative sessions encourage open dialogue, strengthen partnerships, and identify practical actions that support the long-term development of a destination's culinary heritage and visitor economy.
Trusted by Destinations and Companies Around the World
Frequently Asked Gastronomy Tourism Strategy Questions
What exactly does a Culinary Destination Readiness Assessment include?
A Culinary Tourism Readiness Assessment provides an independent evaluation of your destination's gastronomy tourism potential. WFTA conducts a site visit, meets with key stakeholders, evaluates culinary assets, visitor experiences, partnerships, and the destination ecosystem, and prepares a comprehensive report with practical, prioritized recommendations. The assessment identifies strengths, opportunities, and areas for improvement, giving destinations a clear roadmap for future development.
How is a Culinary Tourism Readiness Assessment different from a full gastronomy tourism strategy?
The Readiness Assessment is an independent evaluation of your destination's current strengths, opportunities, and priorities. It provides practical recommendations that can be implemented immediately and may also serve as the foundation for a future strategy. A full gastronomy tourism strategy builds on this understanding to create a comprehensive long-term roadmap.
What types of destinations does WFTA work with?
WFTA works with destinations of every size and stage of development, from rural regions and small communities to major cities, states, provinces, and national tourism organizations. Our clients include destination marketing organizations, government agencies, development organizations, chambers of commerce, and other partners seeking to strengthen their culinary identity and visitor economy.
Do we need to have a well-developed food tourism program before working with WFTA?
Not at all. Many destinations begin with outstanding culinary traditions but little formal gastronomy tourism development. WFTA works with destinations at every stage of maturity, from those taking their first steps to those refining existing strategies and seeking international recognition. Our approach is tailored to your current situation, objectives, and long-term vision.
How is WFTA's approach different?
WFTA specializes exclusively in gastronomy tourism. Our work is grounded in more than two decades of international experience, original research, and practical destination development. Rather than applying generic tourism models, we focus on protecting culinary heritage, strengthening local food systems, engaging stakeholders, and developing strategies that reflect the unique identity of each destination.
Can small or emerging destinations benefit from WFTA's services?
Absolutely. Some of the most successful gastronomy tourism destinations began with limited resources but strong culinary traditions and a commitment to collaboration. WFTA tailors every project to a destination's size, objectives, and available resources, ensuring that recommendations are practical, achievable, and appropriate for local circumstances.
What benefits can we expect from a strategy or consulting project?
Clients often benefit from a stronger culinary identity, improved stakeholder collaboration, clearer strategic priorities, and greater confidence in decision-making. Over time, these outcomes can contribute to more distinctive visitor experiences, stronger destination brands, increased visitor spending, and more resilient local economies. Every project is designed to help destinations build on their unique culinary assets and create long-term value for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.
Putting Strategy Into Practice
Build Consensus
Destination Roundtables
Bring stakeholders together to share perspectives, identify opportunities, and create a shared vision for the future.
Achieve Recognition
Capitals of Culinary Culture
Celebrate your destination's commitment to culinary culture through WFTA's international recognition program.
