Culinary Tourism and Wine - Montreal, Quebec

October 18th - October 22nd

The mission will visit several successful food/wine establishments with experienced chefs/managers and exemplary technical skills and setup. Food interpretation, cooking school experiences, and/or culinary tourism experiences will be featured on this particular mission. The establishments will provide an authentic tourism experience whereby one learns about, appreciates, and consumes food/drink that reflects the local, regional, or national cuisine, heritage, culture, tradition, or culinary techniques.

• To learn about the different types of assets which are necessary to be highly competitive in the culinary tourism marketplace.
• To develop an understanding of what challenges Atlantic Canadian stakeholders need to overcome when developing an authentic culinary experience
• To learn about where cuisine and cooking schools are heading, markets for specialized short courses, and to discuss what types of research, learning activities, and technology do these institutions incorporate into their programs?
• Discuss the recent trends, techniques, innovations, and ideas in the wine industry and improve knowledge of food/wine pairings while enhancing the guests’ authentic experiences.
• Learn how to tie in regional cuisine, stories, and authentic experiences that are thematically linked to culture and heritage.
• Learn how to best target the “gourmande” tourist.
• To gain knowledge on how to effectively promote and market taste education and the successful means of educating the consumer on the source and story of the product.
• To learn how leveraging rich cultural resources support the local economy and community development.
• To understand how to connect producers and potential consumers through educational events such as fairs, markets, and local events as a means to showcase products
• To learn of ways of illustrating the source of the products, allowing diners to learn more about the farm community and the farm-to-table concept.
• To learn how to assume distinct roles in preparing the region for further market readiness, and work together to create unique experiences for the visitor (i.e. culinary and wine education sessions)
• To learn how to enhance the presentation of gourmet products, how to effectively combine and package products (pairing food service with wine bar), and the useful marketing techniques for doing so.
• To gain knowledge on how to make quality culinary dining experiences an exceptional addition to high end and unique accommodations, and how to add a culinary tourism experience to an existing tourism experience to increase value or to rejuvenate a tired destination.
• To determine what makes an attraction superior or “top quality” and how to maximize an attraction’s potential by offering complimentary products and services.
• To learn how to attract high-value consumers who tend to become repeat visitors and what marketing strategies would be most effective to reach this target market.