What’s cooking: world’s first culinary startup competition

Posted by Gabrielle Jacobs on 26 October 2018

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Basque Culinary Center launched the Gastronomy Tourism Startup competition last week with the hope of revolutionising the gastronomy tourism sector through sustainable innovation and ethical business practices.

According to Gastronomy Tech Adventures, the competition website, the United Nations tourism organisation that enforces responsible, sustainable and accessible tourism wants projects to be cognizant of its Sustainable Development Goals with respect to how technology and digital advancements impact the following:

  • Destination management or private management of solutions/products/services developed around gastronomy as gastronomic tourism products
  • Supply-side configuration seeking balance between sustainable development and the profitability of the project, maximizing the positive impacts on the community.
  • Connection with the market and the user experience in all phases of the trip.
  • The integration of sustainability in the project’s business plan, specifically the conservation of local ingredients and the relationship between culture, heritage, gastronomy, tourism and economic growth

 

Startups in the gastronomy tourism industry from all over the world have the opportunity to showcase their vision, and the top five finalists will pitch their projects to a panel of international experts and leaders from various sectors of the industry, including governments and investors at the World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism next May in Spain.

The winning startup will have the chance to showcase and pitch their business venture on a bigger international platform with the help of the panel of industry mentors. They’ll also start working on a pilot project with training and help from the Basque Culinary Center, a global culinary academic training institution based in San Sebastián.

Gastronomy Tech Adventures also outlines these criteria for evaluation competing startups:

  • Innovation and disruptiveness
  • Potential impact and scalability
  • Initially validated or tested business model
  • Suitable and committed team
  • Partnership readiness
  • Sustainability in the value proposition
  • Technological or digital component

The deadline for startups to submit their applications is 5 March 2019.  The winning startup will be announced on 3 May 2019.

 

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