The Taste of Place Summit, May 26-28, seeks to elevate culinary tourism across Canada

(Montréal, QC) - March 27, 2024 - Culinary Tourism Alliance, l’Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) and George Brown College are gearing up to host Canada’s only culinary and agritourism conference, Taste of Place Summit, May 26 to 28 in Montréal, Québec.

The Summit will showcase Québec’s diverse tastes of place. From delving into the wonders of regenerative farming and trailblazing viticulture of the Eastern Townships to exploring the harmonious blend of urban agriculture and gastronomy within Montréal’s metropolitan ecological spaces, delegates will leave inspired, and their tastebuds delighted. This selection of tours and tastings connects attendees with the growers, producers, and chefs who contribute to Québec’s culinary excellence.

The conference aims to enhance the culinary tourism industry across Canada – a major economic driver for many local communities. This is the second annual Taste of Place Summit, bringing in more than 200 destination and economic developers, thought leaders, marketers, and tourism operators. To expand food tourism across destinations, the two-day conference will share timely panel discussions, compelling keynotes, and networking opportunities inspiring Canada’s culinary and agritourism leaders.

“The goal of the Taste of Place Summit is to help the tourism industry from across Canada learn how to make destinations more exciting for domestic and global visitors through memorable culinary and agritourism experiences,” said Rebecca Mackenzie, president and CEO of the Culinary Tourism Alliance. “Building upon the success of our 2023 Summit, we’re thrilled to welcome influential culinary and agritourism leaders to share their expertise and insights with an engaged audience.”

Speakers include Netflix's The Final Table contestant, Chef Rodrigo Pacheco. Sessions will cover a cornucopia of topics, including a conversation on nurturing Indigenous Culinary Tourism led by Indigenous Tourism Québec; the role of airports in celebrating Canadian foodways; compelling ways to tell a unique culinary media story; and a keynote on agritourism, Jean- Martin (JM) Fortier, organic farmer, author, educator and internationally recognized advocate for regenerative human-scale and profitable agriculture.

Tickets to the Taste of Place Summit cost $499 and include the welcome reception on May 26; a learning journey to experience Québec’s tastes of place on May 27; and a full day of

programming on May 28. For more information, to buy tickets and for sponsorship opportunities and partners, visit tasteofplace.ca.

About the Culinary Tourism Alliance:

The Culinary Tourism Alliance is a non-profit committed to connecting tastemakers across Canada and around the world with a goal of sparking delicious developments in culinary tourism. With an established expertise in culinary tourism development, the Culinary Tourism Alliance seeks to ensure that authentic tastes of place become a significant economic driver for communities and regions, and a primary way for travellers to enrich their experience. To learn more, follow @CulinaryTourismAlliance on Instagram or visit www.culinarytourismalliance.com.

Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ):

For over 50 years, the ITHQ has been Canada's leading centre for specialized training in tourism, hospitality, gastronomy, and sommelier studies. Adhering to the most rigorous industry standards, it is the only institution in the country to offer programs at the vocational, technical and university levels. It features unparalleled facilities, such as a teaching hotel, two teaching restaurants and a bar, along with two research labs (GastronomiQc Lab and ExperiSens) and a specialized hospitality consulting centre. Beyond its accredited courses, the ITHQ also offers professional development courses, enterprise and institutional services, and community workshops (Ateliers SAQ par ITHQ). www.ithq.qc.ca

About George Brown College:

Toronto, Ontario’s George Brown College is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples. George Brown prepares innovative, adaptable graduates with the skills to thrive in a rapidly changing job market. With three campuses in the downtown core, the college blends theory with experiential learning, applied research, and entrepreneurship opportunities. George Brown offers 164 full-time programs and 180 continuing education certificates/designations across a wide variety of professions to more than 27,100 full-time students, including 29 percent international students, and receives more than 58,000 continuing education registrations annually. Students can earn certificates, diplomas, graduate certificates, apprenticeships, and degrees. www.georgebrown.ca