Zimbabwe and UN Tourism Partner to Establish Culinary Arts Academy

Zimbabwe is set to establish a culinary arts academy in partnership with UN Tourism.

The announcement was made during the inaugural UN Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Africa held in Victoria Falls from 26 to 28 July 2024. Zimbabwe and UN Tourism launch culinary academy, appoint tourism ambassadors.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed formalising the partnership to create the Zimbabwe International Tourism Academy for the Culinary Arts.

UN Tourism emphasised this initiative as a crucial step in developing human capital for the tourism sector.

To complement the academy, UN Tourism announced the provision of 100 online scholarships through its UN Tourism Academy, aimed at nurturing culinary talent across Africa.

Four New Ambassadors for Responsible Tourism

The forum, held under the patronage of Zimbabwe’s First Lady, Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa, brought together over 200 delegates from 33 countries to explore the potential of gastronomy to drive sustainable tourism development.

In addition to the academy announcement, four African chefs were appointed as UN Tourism Ambassadors for Responsible Tourism.

The ambassadors, Chef Yohanis Gebreyesus (Ethiopia), Chef Adenike Adefila (Nigeria), Chef Mounir El Arem(Tunisia), and Chef Carl Joshua Ncube (Zimbabwe), will champion national cuisines and promote sustainable culinary practices.

Broader Gastronomy Agenda

UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili highlighted Africa’s immense potential as a global gastronomy destination.

He emphasised the need for a comprehensive strategy to harness this potential for the benefit of communities and the planet. 

The second edition of the Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Africa will be hosted in Tanzania.