Yasmine Fofana – So Much to Discover

As interest in local food cultures continues to grow, destinations face increasingly complex choices. Tourism can support culinary heritage by strengthening local economies and raising awareness of food traditions. At the same time, poorly managed promotion can simplify, commodify, or distort cultural practices. This webinar brings together perspectives from across the system to examine how tourism and culinary heritage can coexist more responsibly. Panelists: - Janice Ruddock, Executive Director, Ontario Craft Brewers Association - Sean O’Rourke, President, Eat & Walkabout Tours - Niclas Fjellström, Executive Director, Culinary Heritage Network - Erik Wolf, Executive Director, World Food Travel Association The discussion will be moderated by Marc Checkley, a Lausanne-based storyteller, journalist, and experienced event host with a background in food, wine, travel, and cultural programming. Topics include: Recognizing culinary heritage as living culture rather than a static product Understanding how tourism and markets influence tradition over time Identifying where destinations most often struggle to find balance Applying practical principles for responsible promotion and stewardship This session is relevant for destination marketers, tourism offices, policymakers, producer associations, educators, and anyone working at the intersection of food, culture, and place. There is no cost to attend. REGISTER NOW

🎧 New Podcast Episode Alert! Episode 83: “Why Artisanal Still Matters” featuring Heike Winter What happens when you completely reinvent your life at 50—and return to the culinary traditions that shaped you? In Episode 82, host Erik Wolf speaks with Daniela Sfara, the Canadian-Italian chef, cultural ambassador, and founder of ITALUS whose mission is to preserve the disappearing regional foodways of Italy. Daniela shares her extraordinary personal transformation from a 20-year jewellery career to becoming a respected voice in culinary culture, hospitality excellence, and immersive food experiences across Italy, Dubai, Europe, and North America. Daniela’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and deep cultural stewardship. Whether you work in food, tourism, hospitality, or simply love Italian cuisine, this is an inspiring reminder that food is identity, and preserving culinary heritage is an act of service to future generations. 🎙️ Available now on Spotify, iTunes & your favorite podcast platforms (Search for "Taste of Place") 📺 Prefer video? Watch it now on our YouTube channel. Or listen here now:

🎧 New Podcast Episode Alert! Episode 82: “Cooking by Heart, Not by Recipe” featuring Daniela Sfara What happens when you completely reinvent your life at 50—and return to the culinary traditions that shaped you? In Episode 82, host Erik Wolf speaks with Daniela Sfara, the Canadian-Italian chef, cultural ambassador, and founder of ITALUS whose mission is to preserve the disappearing regional foodways of Italy. Daniela shares her extraordinary personal transformation from a 20-year jewellery career to becoming a respected voice in culinary culture, hospitality excellence, and immersive food experiences across Italy, Dubai, Europe, and North America. Daniela’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and deep cultural stewardship. Whether you work in food, tourism, hospitality, or simply love Italian cuisine, this is an inspiring reminder that food is identity, and preserving culinary heritage is an act of service to future generations. 🎙️ Available now on Spotify, iTunes & your favorite podcast platforms (Search for "Taste of Place") 📺 Prefer video? Watch it now on our YouTube channel. Or listen here now:

Born in Las Raíces, San Juan del Cesar, Colombia, Mabel Esther Vega Montaño honors with her life the name of the place where she was born. A rural teacher and guardian of traditions, she combines formal education with the transmission of ancestral knowledge about respectful cultivation and harvesting of the land. Through fique weaving, she connects communities and promotes rural tourism intertwined with local gastronomy, where the wooden pestle, the totumo achiotero, and the wood-fired stove accompany the preparation of traditional dishes that celebrate the living memory and deep roots of the territory to which she has devoted her life. Learn more about our new Taste of Place Movement and how you can support it and the work done by Mabel and others like her.

🎧 New Podcast Episode Alert! Episode 81: “The Sweet Taste of Ethics” featuring Veronica Peralta In this inspiring episode, Erik Wolf sits down with Veronica Peralta of Paccari Chocolate — the Ecuadorian brand that redefined how ethical, organic, and biodynamic chocolate can uplift entire farming communities. Veronica shares how her brother Santiago transformed Ecuador’s cacao industry by empowering small farmers, protecting biodiversity, and restoring national pride in fine-flavor cacao. The conversation explores the distinct regional flavors of Ecuadorian chocolate, the social and environmental mission behind Paccari, and how climate change is reshaping the global cacao market. Veronica also discusses Paccari’s recognition as the world’s most ethical chocolate brand, and why conscious consumer choices can create real change. 🎙️ Available now on Spotify, iTunes & your favorite podcast platforms (Search for "Taste of Place") 📺 Prefer video? Watch it now on our YouTube channel. Or listen here now: