Italian cuisine inscribed by UNESCO: a boost for tourism, exports and cultural identity

Date of inscription: 10 December 2025

The inclusion of Italian cuisine on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity offers concrete opportunities to enhance gastronomic tourism, promote local supply chains and strengthen exports of high-quality products. This recognition should be seen as the start of a coordinated national strategy involving institutions, businesses and education systems.

At a recent forum in Milan, chefs, industry representatives and policymakers highlighted operational priorities such as ingredient quality, professional training, market rules and sustainability.

• Economic value: UNESCO status can improve the international perception of Italian products and raise their unit value on foreign markets.
• Tourism: food attracts visitors—gastronomic travelers typically spend more and stay longer when offered authentic experiences.
• Training: investing in the education of chefs, bakers and front-of-house staff is vital to export culinary skills while preserving regional identities.
• Tradition safeguarding: promoting the transmission of regional recipes and typical ingredients through education and local initiatives.

Practical proposals to convert the UNESCO listing into tangible results included:

• promoting premium distribution channels for artisanal and high-quality products;
• creating training paths for young people entering the food and hospitality sectors;
• developing coherent public policies on market access, quality standards and sustainability to support SMEs;
• integrating tourism promotion with authentic gastronomic experiences and visits to local supply chains.

Speakers reported optimistic estimates: with effective measures, the UNESCO recognition could increase the foreign value of Italian agri-food products and attract additional millions of tourists. The actual impact will depend on the ability to implement integrated policies and local projects.

Advice for travelers: look for certified experiences, tastings at local producers and food trails that emphasize ingredient quality and traditional practices. For operators and public authorities, the priority is building lasting synergies between education, heritage protection and international promotion.