The World Tourism Organization's (UNWTO) World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism has been postponed to at least June 2021, with the date to be confirmed shortly. The announcement was made by the UNWTO, the Basque Culinary Center (BCC), and the Government of Flanders, in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The 6th edition of the forum was scheduled to take place over three days, from 1 to 3 June 2020, in Bruges, Belgium. It has been co-organised by the UNWTO and the Basque Culinary Center since 2015, and aims to bring together world experts from across tourism and gastronomy. During the forum, they look to identify good practices and promote gastronomy tourism as a contributor to sustainable development. The Spain-based Basque Culinary Center hosts the event every two years. The Belgian city of Bruges, located in Flanders, is one of Europe's gastronomic centres, and will remain the host destination for 2021. The event will represent a unique opportunity to share the experiences of facing up to these challenging times, and place the two sectors at the centre of plans for recovery. Meanwhile, the UNWTO and the BCC Start-up Competition on Gastronomy Tourism remains open to all innovative ideas until 30 May.
