Overview

The first International Forum on Italian Cuisine was held within TuttoFood, following the recognition of Italian Cuisine as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. The forum gathered institutions, chefs, industry leaders and researchers to convert the recognition into concrete measures for safeguarding, promoting and developing the sector.

Participants and focus

Delegates included government representatives, figures from the restaurant and food industry, supply chain experts and educators. Discussions covered public policy, international promotion, primary ingredient protection and professional training.

The seven strategic guidelines

• From recipe to culture: acknowledge cuisine as a cultural language to be preserved and transmitted.
• Create a unified supply chain: strengthen coordination among producers, industry, restaurants, distribution and communication to fight italian sounding.
• Cuisine as soft power: leverage the UNESCO status to boost agro-food exports and cultural diplomacy.
• Gastronomic tourism as territorial development: promote dispersed tourism that reduces pressure on major centers and increases visitor spending.
• Trace and certify the supply chain: map and certify authentic restaurants and products to build trust and market value.
• Education and training: include Italian cuisine in school curricula and professional hospitality programs to train future custodians.
• Digital tools and quality metrics: use technologies to monitor distribution, quality and cultural-economic impact.

Relevance for UNESCO sites and cultural tourism

Recognition of cuisine as intangible heritage strengthens ties between production areas, territories and hospitality, creating synergies with Italy's UNESCO sites. Food culture can increase the appeal of places safeguarding tangible heritage, fostering more sustainable and evenly distributed tourism flows.

Practical recommendations

• Develop tourist routes that pair UNESCO sites with local food and wine experiences.
• Support certification projects for restaurants and suppliers using DOP/IGP ingredients.
• Embed regional cuisine content into school programs and hospitality training.
• Design communication campaigns that use the UNESCO recognition to position Italian products in premium market segments.

Conclusion

The Forum outlined an operational roadmap to turn UNESCO recognition into tangible benefits for the supply chain, territories and education. Implementing the seven guidelines will require public-private coordination and robust certification and communication tools to safeguard authenticity and the global value of Italian cuisine.