Gastronomy

Gastronomic tourism refers to trips made to destinations where the local food and beverages are the main motivating factors for travel. It is also known as “food tourism”, “tasting tourism” or “culinary tourism”. According to the International Culinary Tourism Association, culinary tourism is defined as “the pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences”. What this means is there is a particular audience of people who are willing to travel the world in order to sample and experience authentic international cuisines. gastronomy plays a major role in the way tourists experience the destination, and indicate that some travellers would return to the same destination to savour its unique gastronomy. To this direction more and more Destination Marketing campaigns are now focusing on the food element as a central part of its destination tourism product.
Gastronomic tourism is considered a subculture of cultural tourism and certainly food is a major component of any culture. This trend can be used to encourage travelers to visit other states or even foreign countries on a quest for the best food experience in the world.

ASIDE from the country's well-known diverse natural and man-made attractions, the Philippine food remain one of the country's best -kept secret which is relatively unknown in many parts of the world.
As if to corroborate the saying "the surest way to a man's heart is through his stomach," the Department of Tourism under the stewardship of Secretary Joseph Ace Durano recently launched Culinary Tourism dubbed as Kulinarya Filipina as part of the Cultural Tourism Program. This program hopes to introduce the Philippine flavors to domestic and international scene and aims to promote the country as a culinary destination.
The Philippine cuisines feature a spicy blend of various cultures - a legacy left by past colonizers. The mixture of Malay, Chinese and Spanish influences have complemented the Filipino's way of traditional cooking