The Universidad Europea del Atlántico (European University of the Atlantic, UNEATLANTICO) gathered this Monday more than a hundred professionals in a forum dedicated to the analysis of gastronomy and tourism as engines of economic development and attraction of visitors in Cantabria.
The meeting, organized by UNEATLANTICO together with El Diario Montañés and the University of La Romana, also featured the involvement of the Chair of Innovation in the Food Industry and the collaboration of the Government of Cantabria, the tourist brand Cantabria Infinita and Banco Santander. The meeting brought together institutional representatives, experts in local development, restaurateurs, producers and professionals of the tourism and gastronomic sector.
The day was opened by the rector, Rubén Calderón; the director general of Cantur, Inés Mier; and the director of Companies of Banco Santander, Luis Carlos Velarde. During his speech, Calderón highlighted the growth of the food area within the university, highlighting degrees such as Human Nutrition and Dietetics (NHD), Agricultural and Food Industry Engineering (IIAA), Food Science and Technology (CTA) and the Degree in Gastronomy, established three years ago. Also, he informed about the agreement of educational cooperation with the University of La Romana so that students of the International Gastronomic Center can complete their training in Cantabria and carry out internships in the region. This will have a positive effect on the hotel and tourist sector in Cantabria.
For her part, Inés Mier highlighted the “sweet moment” that crosses tourism and gastronomy in Cantabria as a key binomial for the destination’s positioning, also emphasizing the commitment to a model based on quality, sustainability and deseasonalization.
In the same vein, Luis Carlos Velarde emphasized the gastronomic identity of Cantabria and bet on reinforcing quality, sustainability and digitalization of the sector with the support of Banco Santander.
The program included various presentations and round tables in which issues such as haute cuisine as a tourist motivation, weekend tourism and experiences linked to the origin of food were addressed. Among the participating experts was Gonzalo Arroita Berenguer, a United Nations consultant and local development specialist.
In the session dedicated to haute cuisine as a driver of travel, Nacho Solana, Sergio Bastard, Eduardo Quintana and Elvira Abascal spoke, all of them representatives of renowned restaurants in the region with Michelin stars and Sol Repsol.
For their part, professionals from the sector such as Carlos Crespo, Emeritus Astuy, Pedro Guevara and Eduardo Lamadrid (president of the Association of Hospitality of Cantabria) also participated in the various thematic blocks, who contributed their vision on gastronomic tourism, especially in the peak season.
Also, in the bloc focused on experience tourism and weekend took part Ana Arroyo, Sergio Valle, David Martínez, Javier Blanco, Carlos Arias, David Pérez, Andrew Dougall and José Villanueva Lastra, who analyzed the evolution of the gastronomic and tourist offer in different establishments in the region.
The day was moderated by José Luis Pérez and concluded with the presentation of conclusions and the closing of the forum.
In summary, the interventions highlighted the strategic role of gastronomy as a differentiating element of destination and engine of territorial development, highlighting the importance of collaboration between institutions and professional sector to continue promoting sustainable, innovative and quality gastronomic tourism in Cantabria.