Tourism : Harghita County awarded title of European Region of Gastronomy in 2027 by IGCAT

 Harghita County will be the European Region of Gastronomy in 2027, according to the official decision of the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT), announced the Harghita Intercommunity Development Association (Visit Harghita) in a press release."In 2027, Harghita County will bear the title of European Region of Gastronomy, according to the official decision of IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism). The award ceremony of this prestigious title will take place on February 6, 2025, during a festive event organized in Harghita County," specified the cited source.An international jury of experts from IGCAT visited Harghita County between October 6-11, 2024 to assess the local gastronomic heritage, community initiatives and efforts directed towards sustainable tourism.According to the mentioned source, Diane Dodd, PhD, president of IGCAT and founder of the World Region of Gastronomy Award, underlined the uniqueness of Harghita's cultural values, the natural harmony of the landscape and the close collaboration between local communitiesIGCAT wholeheartedly congratulates this important achievement. The quality of the application submitted by Harghita County and the exceptional organization of the jury's visit are highly appreciated. The active participation of more than 100 stakeholders representing various sectors demonstrates the commitment and collaboration that raise Harghita's gastronomy to the forefront of global recognition, reads the official letter issued by the jury.The press release also states that the gastronomic heritage of Harghita County reflects the meeting of Hungarian, Romanian, Armenian and Szekler traditions, which will be developed in the spirit of sustainability and innovation."The consortium that coordinated the application aims to create a sustainable food ecosystem that supports the local economy, protects cultural values and enriches European gastronomic diversity. The main message: Taste Harghita County!," emphasizes the cited source.The president of Harghita County Council, Bíró Barna-Botond, believes that the work of the Visit Harghita team and its partners over the past years has paid off."Thanks to the promotion activity, Harghita County was on the first place in the Destination of the Year 2024 competition, and this latest achievement will contribute to increasing the attractiveness, developing tourism and, implicitly, the economy," said Bíró Barna-Botond, as quoted by the Press Office of the institution.The Harghita Intercommunity Development Association (Visit Harghita) initiated the candidacy for the title of European Region of Gastronomy 2027 in 2023.According to Visit Harghita, "the European Regions of Gastronomy (nominated and awarded), selected and coordinated by IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism), aim to contribute to improving the quality of life of citizens by highlighting the importance of cultural and gastronomic uniqueness".They also encourage gastronomic creativity and innovation, promote culinary education and the circular economy, enhance sustainable tourism and support the well-being and health of communities and the environment.The title of European Region of Gastronomy is a distinction that widely promotes the region's achievements, programmes, community collaborations and responses to the challenges of the future, and is not accompanied by a financial award, Visit Harghita further specifies. (Photo:https://igcat.org/)