South Aegean awarded European gastronomy title

Greece’s region of the South Aegean has been awarded the “European Region of Gastronomy 2019” title by an independent jury, during a special ceremony at the Grande Bretagne Hotel in Athens.

The award which is organised by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) with the support of European institutions, aims to highlight distinctive food cultures and educate on better health and sustainability and stimulating gastronomic innovation.

South Aegean region governor George Hadjimarkos said this success comes after a strong collaborative effort thanks to which the region has identified effective strategies to cope with the challenges it is facing today. Winning the title of European Region of Gastronomy 2019 is expected to highlight and give international exposure to the quality food offer of the Aegean islands.

“The project allows to meet the real needs of local people by taking advantage of Greek creativity and provides opportunities for regional growth and reward for primary sector workers and local SMEs offering tourism services”, Hadjimarkos said.

“By means of a holistic approach that involves stakeholders from all sectors and all islands, the South Aegean Taste the Seasons programme is expected to create a renewed relationship with its guests”, he added.