ITB Asia News 2019 Day 1 Edition

24 REGION
ASIA - PACIFIC
What about Kuching
– for combining arts,
culture, lifestyle – and
nature?
Traditional Thai food presented with flowers
THAILAND’S
GASTRONOMY TO
HIGHLIGHT THE
KINGDOM’S PROVINCES
T h a i l a n d wants t o
promote its regional
cuisine as a tool to open
new destinations for
tourists. Surprisingly,
a recent survey shows
that only 40% of tourists
know about Thai food.
Food has been a mantra
for Thailand with many
TV shows around the
world presenting Thai
culinary delights and
the Tourism Authority of
Thailand- the kingdom’s
tourism marketing agencysupporting
this passion
through festivals, agro
tourism or even by creating
stories around iconic dishes
such as Pad Thai.
But more needs to be done.
According to research from
the National Research
Council of Thailand (NRCT)
over gastronomic tourism in
Thailand and ways to explore
strategies for building a
competitive advantage, only
40 per cent of respondents
to a poll claimed they knew
Thai food and beverage
well. This means that there
is still 60% of travellers who
have little or no knowledge
of Thai cuisine.
The food-travel trend shows
no signs of slowing down
with tourists considering
food in Thailand as an
integral part of the local
culture. Now, authorities
and professionals believe
that gastronomy will open
new doors for tourism. The
key is to craft an immersive
experience that cannot be
found anywhere else and
story-telling strategies over
uniquely tasty Thai food.
During a recent forum
on the ‘Strategies for
Building a Competitive
Advantage of Gastronomic
Tourism in Thailand’ held
last September, famous
Thai Chefs expressed
their opinions over food.
For Chef Vichit Mukura,
formerly working at The
Oriental Bangkok Hotel,
four key elements prevail:
quality, price, uniqueness
and cleanliness. Chef Vichit
suggested a focus of ‘one
province, one dish’ from
individual cities to help
attract tourists to emerging
destinations and impress
them with memorable Thai
food flavours.
The idea of promoting
p r o v i n c e s t h r o u g h
gastronomic experience was
also shared by Ms. Lertlinin
Sippapak, owner of many
restaurants in Bangkok. She
encouraged the public and
private sectors to identity
Thai food that is unique on a
province by province basis
STAND E05 - BASEMENT 2
Kuching’s first ever month-long festival of the arts, culture and
lifestyle, “What About Kuching 2019”, running all of October, is a
tribute to the spirit of Sarawak. What better occasion to visit the
region?
This vibrant city in the heart of
Borneo is renowned for its culture,
crafts and cuisine, where old world
splendour meets new world charm.
To celebrate this city’s abundant yet
distinct charm, the local community
has come together to present What
About Kuching 2019: a tribute to
the spirit of Kuching. And what
better way to appreciate a city than
through the eyes of a local? The
Festival’s mission is to showcase the
arts, culture and lifestyle to a global
audience thereby creating greater
appreciation and support of these
amongst the local community.
Kuching is famous for its food; in
particular its celebrated noodle
dishes, spicy Sarawak Laksa and
savoury Kolo Mee, as well as a wide
selection of Chinese, Malay and
Indian cuisine, exotic rainforest fruits,
crispy jungle ferns and wonderful
fresh seafood. Dining options range
from humble hawker stalls, through
waterside seafood restaurants at
Kampung Buntal and traditional
Orangutan in Semenggoh
Nature Reserve
Chinese delicacies at Siniawan Night
Market to opulent fine dining outlets
in 5-star hotels, and one can even
learn to cook Sarawak-style.
The city is not only the cultural heart
of Sarawak, but it’s also the ideal
base-point for numerous day tours.
Visitors can climb Mount Santubong
for a birds-eye view of the city and
the coastline, or take to the trails of
Kubah National Park to discover rare
and fascinating plant species and
idyllic jungle waterfalls. A stone’s
throw from Kuching, Semenggoh
Nature Reserve and its thriving
population of semi-wild orangutans
is a key attraction. One can also take
a boat to Bako National Park to view
the rare proboscis monkey, as well
as long-tailed macaque monkeys,
Bornean bearded pigs, colugos and
many colourful bird and reptile
species
STAND B05 - BASEMENT 2
Proboscis Monkey in
Bako National Park
ITB ASIA NEWS • Wednesday 16 October 2019
www.itb-asia-news.com