Flemish Minister Weyts wishes to increase international recognition of Flemish gastronomy

Flemish Minister for Tourism Ben Weyts (N-VA) wants Flanders to gain international recognition as a leading culinary destination. For this reason, he is developing a high-level gastronomy policy similar to the high-level sports policy Flanders has been implementing for years. “We want strong showcases that get mouths watering around the world for our gastronomic talent,” says the minister.

Weyts feels that “cooking masterpieces is also a high-level sport”. “Competition is killer, and a lot of other countries coach their young chefs extensively.” High time for Flanders, therefore, to better support its own star chefs and more actively promote them abroad. In this way, we can get our major talents into more international competitions and score (even) better in leading culinary guides like Michelin and Gault&Millau. “It is a proven fact that higher scores in these guides draw more tourists” Weyts says.

Playing catch-up
According to Minister Weyts, Flanders is critically due for a catch-up manoeuvre in terms of culinary tourism. “We have a lot of gastronomic talent and numerous culinary treasures that are not sufficiently recognised abroad. They could serve as a showcase for Flanders around the world. We want to increase the association between good food and Flanders. This will benefit the entire tourism sector, as well as the hotel and catering industry” concludes the minister.