Major Tourism Conference To Focus On Food And Hospitality Sectors

The importance of the food and hospital sectors to local tourism is to be highlighted at a major industry conference to be held in Belfast on Tuesday 23 February.

The 'Focus On Food: Our Recipe For Tourism Success' conference will take place at St George's Market and will feature speakers and panelists from all areas of the food and hospitality industry, including chefs, academics and retailers.

The keynote speaker will be top chef, food writer and broadcaster Valentine Warner, who will share his passion for food heritage, the people, the places and the stories they tell while "in conversation" with conference host Sarah Travers. 

The other speakers are led by the acclaimed Michelin Star chef, restaurateur and author JP McMahon, culinary director of the Eat Galway Restaurant Group, who will address the importance of partnership and collaboration between all aspects of the food industry, including farmers, producers and restaurants.

Chair of Belfast City Council's City Growth and Regeneration Committee, Deirdre Hargey, said: "The aim of the conference is to see what more can be done to maximize the economic benefit of food tourism, not only for Belfast, but the region as a whole.

"It will look at the long term development of food tourism in the city, and is designed to promote Belfast's food tourism message; inspire the industry to collaborate and create new visitor experiences; engage producers, farmers, fishermen, chefs and outlets to better promote the food message to visitors; encourage the use of local produce and enable those in the industry to share experiences, challenges and opportunities."

The conference is supported by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), through its Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme.

(MH)