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Webinar Description
Eating, drinking, and traveling experiences—commonly referred to as gastronomic, food, or culinary tourism—have long been popular activities across cultures and time. The connections between food and tourism provide a platform for cultural transmission, local economic development, sustainable practices, and unique food experiences. These elements help to brand and market destinations, support local traditions, foster innovation, encourage diversification, and promote inclusion. This webinar will showcase best practices that destinations and businesses use to capitalize on gastronomy tourism, both as a core and supporting product. The webinar will discuss how to design authentic culture-based gastronomic tourism experiences that benefit both tourists and residents, as well as suppliers, including small communities, village tourism, rural and farm tourism, and small operators.
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Dr. Muhammet Kesgin is a Professor of International Hospitality and Service Innovation in the Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). His recent teaching portfolio includes courses in customer experience management, and food and beverage business management. Dr. Kesgin’s research centers on consumer behavior and wellbeing within the domains of hospitality, tourism, and events. He has published in leading international journals and actively serves as a reviewer and editorial board member for several of them. His professional background includes hospitality industry experience across four countries: Türkiye, Germany, France, and the United States. Dr. Kesgin joined RIT in 2013, following academic appointments in Türkiye and the UK. |
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İrfan Önal currently serves as an Advisor at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye. His professional career bridges cultural policy, heritage management, and tourism development, with a particular focus on integrating sustainability and local community participation into national cultural strategies. Önal has contributed to numerous projects on tourism and cultural management, creative economy, and destination branding. He has also been involved in academic and policy-oriented projects exploring the intersections of culture, tourism, and urban studies. Combining administrative experience with scholarly insight, his work emphasizes the importance of cultural identity, collaborative governance, and inclusive cultural and urban policies in shaping Türkiye’s cultural and tourism landscape. İrfan is also actively engaged in civil society initiatives particularly through his ongoing work with YÜciTA (Turkish Research Network on Local Products and Geographical Indications). |
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Serkan Toso is the co-founder and COO of byFood.com, a platform that began in Japan and has since expanded globally to connect travelers with authentic food experiences and restaurant reservations. byFood combines gastronomy with social impact through its initiative Food for Happiness, which has already donated over 1 million meals to children in need worldwide. Serkan’s leadership and vision have been recognized internationally: he won the UNWTO Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition and was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list. Originally from Turkey and now based in Tokyo, Serkan brings a global perspective to Japanese food tourism, working closely with chefs, restaurants, and regional partners to showcase the richness of Japan’s culinary culture and create meaningful connections for travelers and communities around the world. |
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Annelize Morkel is a South African researcher, lecturer, and consultant specializing in hospitality strategy and business development within the food and wine industry. With international experience in the experience economy across several continents, she brings a global perspective to her work and teaching. She lectures for the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), where she teaches courses on Economics of Wine, Culture and Cuisine, and Sustainable Tourism. Her approach combines scholarly work with practical industry knowledge, inspiring students to engage critically at the intersections of tourism, food and wine, and business strategy. Annelize is deeply committed to women’s empowerment across the African continent and actively supports a range of nonprofit organizations that promote safety, community development and social upliftment through various projects. |
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Kazem Vafadari
Serkan Toso
Annelize Morkel
Kazem Vafadari
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Chicago
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Mexico City
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Mexico
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New York
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Toronto
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Berlin/Munich
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Cairo
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Egypt
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Moscow
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Russia
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Istanbul
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Turkey
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Shanghai/Beijing
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China
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Tokyo
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Japan
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Sydney
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Australia
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Eating, drinking, and traveling experiences—commonly referred to as gastronomic, food, or culinary tourism—have long been popular activities across cultures and time. The connections between food and tourism provide a platform for cultural transmission, local economic development, sustainable practices, and unique food experiences. These elements help to brand and market destinations, support local traditions, foster innovation, encourage diversification, and promote inclusion. This webinar will showcase best practices that destinations and businesses use to capitalize on gastronomy tourism, both as a core and supporting product. The webinar will discuss how to design authentic culture-based gastronomic tourism experiences that benefit both tourists and residents, as well as suppliers, including small communities, village tourism, rural and farm tourism, and small operators.
|
Dr. Muhammet Kesgin is a Professor of International Hospitality and Service Innovation in the Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). His recent teaching portfolio includes courses in customer experience management, and food and beverage business management. Dr. Kesgin’s research centers on consumer behavior and wellbeing within the domains of hospitality, tourism, and events. He has published in leading international journals and actively serves as a reviewer and editorial board member for several of them. His professional background includes hospitality industry experience across four countries: Türkiye, Germany, France, and the United States. Dr. Kesgin joined RIT in 2013, following academic appointments in Türkiye and the UK. |
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İrfan Önal currently serves as an Advisor at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye. His professional career bridges cultural policy, heritage management, and tourism development, with a particular focus on integrating sustainability and local community participation into national cultural strategies. Önal has contributed to numerous projects on tourism and cultural management, creative economy, and destination branding. He has also been involved in academic and policy-oriented projects exploring the intersections of culture, tourism, and urban studies. Combining administrative experience with scholarly insight, his work emphasizes the importance of cultural identity, collaborative governance, and inclusive cultural and urban policies in shaping Türkiye’s cultural and tourism landscape. İrfan is also actively engaged in civil society initiatives particularly through his ongoing work with YÜciTA (Turkish Research Network on Local Products and Geographical Indications). |
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Serkan Toso is the co-founder and COO of byFood.com, a platform that began in Japan and has since expanded globally to connect travelers with authentic food experiences and restaurant reservations. byFood combines gastronomy with social impact through its initiative Food for Happiness, which has already donated over 1 million meals to children in need worldwide. Serkan’s leadership and vision have been recognized internationally: he won the UNWTO Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition and was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list. Originally from Turkey and now based in Tokyo, Serkan brings a global perspective to Japanese food tourism, working closely with chefs, restaurants, and regional partners to showcase the richness of Japan’s culinary culture and create meaningful connections for travelers and communities around the world. |
|
Annelize Morkel is a South African researcher, lecturer, and consultant specializing in hospitality strategy and business development within the food and wine industry. With international experience in the experience economy across several continents, she brings a global perspective to her work and teaching. She lectures for the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), where she teaches courses on Economics of Wine, Culture and Cuisine, and Sustainable Tourism. Her approach combines scholarly work with practical industry knowledge, inspiring students to engage critically at the intersections of tourism, food and wine, and business strategy. Annelize is deeply committed to women’s empowerment across the African continent and actively supports a range of nonprofit organizations that promote safety, community development and social upliftment through various projects. |
![]() | Muhammet Kesgin Moderator |
![]() | İrfan Önal Panelist |
![]() | Serkan Toso Panelist |
![]() | Annelize Morkel Panelist |
Introduction/ModeratorMuhammet Kesgin
Presentations by Speakers/Panelistsİrfan Önal / Serkan Toso / Annelize Morkel
Cultural Break
Discussion and Q/A
Rapporteur Malcolm Cooper
Concluding RemarksJafar Jafari / Kazem Vafadari
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Local Time:
Dec, 2025
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