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CEBU CITY, Philippines - Cebu is ready to become a destination for culinary tourism in the country, a local tour operator official said Tuesday.
“But we will need somebody or an organization to put all components together and use interesting elements for each cuisine. How will it differ from other cuisines?” said Alice Queblatin, immediate past president of Cebu Association of Tour Operators (CATO).
This statement came after Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano said they are moving toward promoting culinary tourism in the Philippines.
Durano said this new concept will help reach the three million-tourist target by the end of 2008 because Filipinos are known to serve good food.
Queblatin said thorough research is needed to best understand the essence of a culinary tour.
“Culinary tour introduces culture through the different tastes of the food. By this, tourists get to see Cebu in a different perspective. It's not just Magellan's Cross or Mactan Shrine,” said Queblatin, also managing director of Southwinds Travel and Tours, Inc.
Thailand's Tourism Board, for instance, has developed the country's culinary tourism for tourists to look beyond Thailand's temples.
“In a recent trip to Bangkok, we were even brought to the market and were shown why Thailand put a certain kind of spice in their cuisines. We were told where are these planted and its history,” she said.
By doing so, tourists will appreciate more the country's culture.
Cebu and the Philippines will excel in this field especially that the country is a mixture of different cultures, Queblatin said.
“We can even start with going to market. Gone are the days when we just say, this is sinugba and that's it. Today, we try hard to explain what is the dish, how is it cooked and a bit of its history,” she said.
The Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu may be the right organization to set the guidelines for tour operators as it sell culinary tour packages, Queblatin said.
At present, dining in Filipino or Cebuano restaurant is already part of the tour packages among different travel and tour operators.
“But what Secretary. Durano meant was to organize a culinary tour or a tour package with food as the selling point,” she said.
