THEODORE ALEXIOU

Business Consultant
President of GCE

Essentials on
Gastronomy and
Tourism

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

At the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015, world
leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and
tackle climate change by 2030.
What are the Sustainable Development Goals?

The Sustainable Development Goals, otherwise known as the Global Goals, build on the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight anti-poverty targets that the world
committed to achieving by 2015. The MDGs, adopted in 2000, aimed at an array of issues
that included slashing poverty, hunger, disease, gender inequality, and access to water and
sanitation. Enormous progress has been made on the MDGs, showing the value of a unifying
agenda underpinned by goals and targets. Despite this success, the indignity of poverty has
not been ended for all.
The new SDGs, and the broader sustainability agenda, go much further than the MDGs,
addressing the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that works
for all people.
UNDP Administrator Helen Clark noted: "This agreement marks an important milestone in
putting our world on an inclusive and sustainable course. If we all work together, we have a

chance of meeting citizens aspirations for peace, prosperity, and wellbeing, and to preserve
our planet."
The Sustainable Development Goals will now finish the job of the MDGs, and ensure that no
one is left behind.
The in-hands presentation serves at least 8 of the Sustainable Development Goals and
proves that developing and exploiting the local gastronomy can be a lever for sustainable
real growth in terms of social and economic development.

Gastronomy Club of Epirus

Gastronomy Club of Epirus established at 2007 by a group of Greeks led by Alexander Yiotis,
a well know Greek Gastronome.
At Club are participating gastronomes and lovers of food of various backgrounds and
disciplines (academics of various specialties, food and beverage producers or producers of
special raw materials, local officials, representatives of the four counties, representatives of
the region, of he sector of tourism, of local and regional institutions, cooperatives and
foundations or associations, cooks etc).
Gastronomy Club of Epirus acts in four directions:
x

Organisation of regular gastronomic meetings (symposia) for members and friends

of the Club.

Presentation of products and services through events such as tasting sessions,

exhibitions, participation in fairs, publications, interventions in education etc...

Establishment and Operation of the Institute of Documentation and Certification of

Epirus products.

Connecting with corresponding organizations abroad, for the promotion and

implementation of joint international action.

Greece

Epirus

What is food tourism?

The pursuit and enjoyment of unique and memorable food and drink experiences, both
far and near.

And what it isnt?

x

Confining a food tourists dining experience into the walls of a restaurant isnt
enough to make them feel like they got what they came for.

Food tourism isnt about the type of food that you eat; its about the fact that
when you go to a new place, you seek out new food experiences.

Food tourism isnt just for gourmands.

Who is the Food Tourist

There are three kinds of food tourists:

the deliberate who specifically travel just for food,

the opportunistic who go on trips where they seek out food and drink but
that is not a factor in choosing a destination,

the accidental who participate in food and drink just because its there.

Weve found that food travelers tend to skew towards

middle age and younger although most people think they are older, wealthier people.
Food travelers are

better educated

their incomes are average to slightly higher than the average.

However, its hard to peg people.

One hundred percent of travelers have the potential to be food tourists.

Building the Food & Wine Story

The 4 Ps:

PRODUCT

Taste, appearance, growth, fresh ness, texture,

character, use. colour, species, cost, history,
aroma, health, type, availability, arrangement,.

PROCESS

Technics, machinery, tradition, specialties,

final products. Sub products and use of them.

PLACE

Region, history, climate, seasonality,

terroir, impact, soils, difference, views, vistas,
comparisons, the farm, the future

PEOPLE

Tradition, culture, customs, language, behavior,

history, trends

Quality

Quality of
the raw
materials

Quality
during the
preparation

Quality in
presentation

Quality in
service

Special Issues on Quality

Food for
special groups:

Children
Vegiterians, Vegans, etc
Kosher / Halal or other fasts
Special diets for people with diabetes or allergies

Blind
Training on servicing
people with disabilities

Deaf

Moving disabilities

Multilingual lists

Training of the waiters on gastronomy

and behavioral issues

Communication
Underline the typical products and recipes of a region

Gastronomic destinations should:

Underline the talent and creativity of those who prepare them

Promote a wide assortment of local cuisines

Develop new gastronomic products

Connect gastronomy with local tradition & culture

Connect tourism with agriculture & food/beverage processing

fields

Have excellent tourism portals

Are tourist-friendly

Develop synergies

Are managed by professionals

Gastronomic Identity
This identity is determined by a number of factors. The dominant elements
in the environment include geography and climate, which in turn impact agricultural
products that are available and the adaptability of new products that were brought
in due to trends, fashion, or demand arising from increased travel. The dominant
cultural elements include religions, history, level of ethnic diversity, innovations,
capabilities, traditions, beliefs and values. These events have a significant impact on
identifiable gastronomic characteristics. All gastronomies are in constant evolution
and are a fusion of unique and identifiable products, traditions and etiquette. Classic
wine and food examples illustrate many of the similarities and contrasting
characteristics in components, texture and flavors. An understanding of these
concepts can be valuable when defining gastronomic tourism strategies and local
restaurant concepts.

Culture
History
Ethnic Diversity
Trial & Error
Innovations
Capabilities
Traditions
Beliefs
Values

Environment
Geography
Climate
Macro/Meso/Micro-Climates
Indigenous Products
Profitable Adaptability
of New Products

Gastronomic Identity
Flavor Profiles
Etiquette
Recipes
Fusion of Ingredients/Techniques
Classic Wine and Food Marriages
Climate Zones
Old World & New World Styles

Basics of the
Wine & Food Tourism
Experience
Outside Region
Festivals
Restaurant
Home
Wine shows

Within Region
Accommodation
Cuisine
Scenery
Other Attractions
Architecture

Winery

Tasting
Events
Inter-personal / personal
Winery setting

How to stimulate local development

with food tourism

Potential for Growth

Food tourism is a

With consumers being

growth segment, and

increasingly aware of

typically gastronomic

the benefits (economic,

tours are increasingly

environmental and

being combined with

health related) of local

other activities such

produce, there is an

as cultural tours,

increased desire to

cycling, walking, etc.

sample local dishes,

Consequently, this is a

foodstuffs and drink.

segment that appeals

This has led to the

to a broad range of

emergence of local food

consumers.

and drink festivals, as

well as increased
interest in local markets.

11 tricks to gain more

money from your clients!
Do not use the currency symbol
The currency symbol will automatically
remind consumers that spend money.
According to research done at Cornell
University, the guests who had a list

without the $ sign, they spent a lot more

money than those who did not see the $.
Even if prices were written in the form of
"ten dollars", led consumers to spend less.

Be treacherous with numbers

The restaurateurs understand that the price of
9.99, often perceived as less qualitative.
Conversely, the price closed at 0.95 (ie 10.95) is
most efficient and friendly to the consumer.

Use descriptive language

Research of Cornell Universityy showed
that the products of the list were
described in a beautiful way and was
the most popular. At the same time,
another survey conducted by the
University of Illinois showed that

products with descriptions had 27%

more demand than those who had no
description.

Associate eating with the family

The general public feels greater
connection when the list uses the words
"Mom" or "grandmother", such as the
"lamb of Grandma."

Use ethnic terms for

food to look more

authentic
The psychology professor
at the University of
Oxford, Charles Spence,
found that national or
geographical sign, as a

Tomatoes and peppers stuffed

with rice, chopped meat, tomato
and greek herbs, cooked in
n the
oven.

Greek name, draws the

consumer's attention to
a particular dish.

YEMISTA!

Use pictures
When the dishes on the list are underlined, have
intense color or be accompanied by photos,
they look more special. On the other hand, very
good restaurants avoid such tactics because
they thought them distasteful.

Use very expensive dishes to

promote cheaper dishes
Many restaurants use very
expensive dishes as a distraction,

so the less expensive dishes (but

still high in price) seem
cheaper. The only reason to exist
in a directory a plate of 50 euros is
to feel better when the consumer
ordered a dish that costs 35 euros.
Offer small, medium and large size
The consumer has no idea how small the
small salad is and presumes that it is cheaper
because it has a good price-quality ratio.

What the consumer does not

understand is that restaurants want to
sell small quantities and large quantities
are listed only for comparison.

Place the dishes

depending on how you
read the consumer
According to research
done in Korea, 1/3 of the
participants were much more likely to order the
first dish that will attracted attention. So the
restaurants put the most "profitable" dishes on the
top right of the list, because there first drops the

Offer limited choices

In order not to feel the visitor of the restaurant
that has too many options from which is forced
to choose, restaurants offer fewer options, the

ideal number of dishes to be 6 dishes in each

category for fast food and 7 with 10 dishes by
class restaurants.

Create the right mood

According to research done at the University of Leicester,

classical music in the restaurants encourage customers to
spend more money. Instead, pop music leads consumers to
spend 10% less money on their meals.