15 May '17

Flanders and Basque country talk food tourism

Summary

The Flemish tourism minister went to San Sebastian with top chef Seppe Nobels, and hopes to bring the next edition of the UN’s world gastronomy forum to Flanders

 

Gourmet reputation

Flanders’ minister for tourism was in the Basque country in Spain last week to sign an agreement between the two regions to promote gastronomic tourism. The meeting between Ben Weyts and his Basque counterpart, Alfredo Retortillo, took place in San Sebastian.

Weyts was accompanied by chef Seppe Nobels (pictured) of Graanmarkt 13 in Antwerp, who took part in a “food battle” in the kitchen with Basque chef Xabier Zabaleta of Restaurante Aratz.

The occasion for the meeting was the UN World Tourism Organisation’s World Forum, which brings together experts from around the world to debate the current challenges of culinary tourism. Weyts would like Flanders to host the 2020 edition of the forum.

“Getting the World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism to Flanders would be the icing on the cake for our gourmet reputation,” he said. Meanwhile, Weyts is bringing together young culinary talent to represent Flemish gastronomy, forming the Young Chefs team to take part in international culinary competitions.

By the end of this month, each of Flanders’ 25 hotel schools will have put forward two top prospects under the age of 21 to take part in individual and team challenges. They will cook menus using ingredients provided but not seen in advance in an attempt to become one of the eight members of the Young Chefs team.

“We already have a top athletes policy,” Weyts said. “Now we also have a top chefs policy. We will be plucking the best kitchen talent from the classroom and preparing them for the culinary high spots.”

 Photo courtesy VisitFlanders

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Tourism in Flanders

The majority of tourists visit Flanders from neighbouring countries like the Netherlands, the UK, France and Germany. The main destinations are the coast and the Flemish art cities.
West Flanders - West Flanders is the number-one destination for tourism in Flanders, including for residents living in the region. Visitors are flocking to the province for several reasons: The long coastline, the historical city of Bruges and the First World War memorial sites.
Art cities - The most popular tourist cities in Flanders are known as the “art cities”, which include Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels, Mechelen and Leuven. The most-visited city is Brussels, followed by Bruges. Other popular Flemish regions include the fruit-growing area of Haspengouw and the pastoral Maasland along the eastern border of Flanders.
World heritage - Flanders has five listings in Unesco's list of protected world heritage, including a series of 26 belfries and the entire historical city centre of Bruges.
5

percentage of local jobs in tourism

98

average amount spent per day by a tourist in euros

21 785 600

Number of tourists who visited Flanders in 2016

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