Italian Cuisine as UNESCO Intangible Heritage: conclusions from the first Forum at TuttoFood

On 20 May 2026, at TuttoFood (Rho Fiera Milano), the first international Forum dedicated to Italian Cuisine took place after its recognition as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Institutions, chefs, food industry professionals and researchers met to convert the recognition into concrete measures for protection, promotion and sector development.

Participants and main topics

Attendees included institutional representatives, restaurant professionals, supply-chain operators and education experts. Discussions focused on public policy, international promotion, safeguarding raw materials and training the next generation of custodians.

The seven guidelines identified

• From recipe to culture: acknowledge cuisine as a cultural language to protect and pass on.
• System approach: coordinate producers, industry, restaurants, distribution and communication to combat Italian sounding and support authenticity.
• Cuisine as soft power: use UNESCO recognition to boost agri-food exports and cultural diplomacy.
• Distributed food-and-wine tourism: develop local routes to spread tourist flows and reduce pressure on major centers.
• Traceability and certification: map and certify authentic restaurants and products to build trust in global markets.
• Education and training: incorporate regional culinary knowledge into school and professional curricula.
• Digital tools and metrics: deploy technologies to monitor diffusion, quality and socio-economic impact.

Impact on UNESCO Sites and cultural tourism

UNESCO recognition of Italian cuisine strengthens links between production areas, local territories and dining experiences, creating opportunities for Italian UNESCO Sites to attract more sustainable, higher-value visitation through integrated cultural and gastronomic offers.

Practical actions recommended for UNESCO Sites

• Develop combined routes pairing visits to UNESCO Sites with local culinary experiences to extend stays and increase visitor spending.
• Support certification for restaurants and suppliers using DOP/IGP ingredients to ensure authenticity and quality.
• Integrate training on regional culinary traditions into site educational programs and visitor activities.
• Targeted communication: position local products and experiences as premium offerings leveraging the UNESCO recognition.

Conclusion

The Forum outlined an operational roadmap to turn UNESCO recognition into measurable benefits for supply chains, territories and training. Effective implementation will require public-private coordination, certification systems and focused communication to preserve the authenticity and value of Italian cuisine.