www.charts-interreg4c.eu Project CHARTS “Culture and Heritage Added value to Regional policies for Tourism Sustainability” Workshop J: Local Products and Gastronomy Event Report 7 June 2013 South Pelion Municipality, Greece June 2013 1 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Report on the Workshop J “Local Products & Gastronomy” on 7 June 2013 in South Pelion Municipality, Greece by CHARTS MCU, June 2013 www.charts-interreg4c.eu Table of contents 1. Introductions..................................................................................................................3 2. Summary of Thematic Workshop ................................................................................. 4 “Local Products & Gastronomy as Intangible Heritage” ............................................................ 4 Session 1: Opening ............................................................................................................... 4 Session 2: Local Products and Gastronomy as Intangible Heritage ............................................ 5 Discussions .......................................................................................................................... 8 3. Contacts .................................................................................................................... 10 Annex I Workshop programme ........................................................................................... 11 Annex II List of Participants ............................................................................................... 13 2 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Report on the Workshop J “Local Products & Gastronomy” on 7 June 2013 in South Pelion Municipality, Greece by CHARTS MCU, June 2013 www.charts-interreg4c.eu 1. INTRODUCTION The thematic workshop on good practice related to ‘local products and gastronomy’ with study visits, took place on 7 June 2013 in Milies, South Pelion Municipality, Greece, organised in the frame of the INTERREG IVC project CHARTS. It was the first time when Lead Partner of CHARTS project Municipality of South Pelion organised and hosted thematic workshop, as extraordinary event for CHARTS project implementation, in order to exchange experience on this topic of good practice in cultural tourism particularly for tourism destinations among project partners. This topic was in addition to those originally planned. This extraordinary event have been held for experience exchange on additional good practice topic considered important for potential transfer between partners. ‘Local gastronomy’ has been proposed as intangible heritage candidate have been treated as cultural tourism attraction with strong European significance for sustainable tourism development. The topic of this Thematic Workshop was „Local Products and Gastronomy as Intangible Heritage”. The sustainability of tourism related with culture and heritage has to be ensured by promotion of local products with denomination of origin certification, awareness about local cuisine and traditional recipes, provided diet for visitors and creative cuisine and by local identity through eno-gastronomy and culinary practices. Workshop was supplemented by four Study Visits to Vizitsa village (local architecture and women’s cooperative), Koropi (local cuisine displays), Old Trikeri island (religious tourism and local gastronomy) and Olive & Oil Museum at Ano Gatzea, all proven workshop topic for cultural tourism in South Pelion Municipality. In this Thematic Workshop participated six project partners: Vidzeme Tourism Association - Latvia, Consell de Mallorca - Spain, Welsh Government CADW - UK, Vastra Gotaland Region - Sweden, European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN) - Belgium, Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) together with Municipality of South Pelion from Greece. The workshop and study visits are recorded in video and photos. 3 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Report on the Workshop J “Local Products & Gastronomy” on 7 June 2013 in South Pelion Municipality, Greece by CHARTS MCU, June 2013 www.charts-interreg4c.eu 2. SUMMARY of Thematic Workshop “Local Products & Gastronomy as Intangible Heritage” Session 1: Opening Welcome address by Mr. Kostas Papamarkakis, Chairman of Municipal Council of South Pelion, Greece Mr. K.Papamarkakis welcomed all participants and project partners on behalf of project Lead Partner Municipality of South Pelion. He shortly introduced participants with history and cultural assess of Milies, as well with workshops programme during thre days. He hopes that exchanging of ideas in three days will award each regions who participate and wished pleasant stay to participants. Welcome address by Mr. Athanassios Fleris, Deputy Mayor of South Pelion, Greece Mr. A.Fleris welcomed participants at the South Pelion, the capital of Culture. And wished success to event. He was convinced that effort for ehchange experience will grant all partners regions and give strengths for every project regions to develop more sustainable tourism with culture and heritage. Welcome address by Mr. Kostas Chalevas, President of European Cultural Tourism Development Mr. K.Chalevas welcomed participants. He said that South Pelion region investing in tourism development and relay on tourism development to get out from present economic crisis. He wished pleasant stay and good results from workshop. 4 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Report on the Workshop J “Local Products & Gastronomy” on 7 June 2013 in South Pelion Municipality, Greece by CHARTS MCU, June 2013 www.charts-interreg4c.eu Introduction to CHARTS Project and scope of the Workshops on ‘local products & gastronomy’, ‘traditional skills & trades’ and ‘railway heritage’ by Mr. Manos Vougioukas, CHARTS Project Coordinator Mr Manos Vougioukas presented to participants the CHARTS project, objectives, approach, actions and achievements, results todate and next events in future till project completion in 2014. He then briefly outlined the history of ECTN creation through previous EU initiatives like INTERREG IIIC (2003-2006), CHRON and CultMark. He also introduced participants with detailed programme in 3 days activities. Session 2: Local Products and Gastronomy as Intangible Heritage Greek Cuisine and Award of Quality Label in Greece by Ms. Penelope, Head of the section of Tourist Investments and Information of Investors of GNTO – EOT, Greece Ms. P.Nompilaki started her presentation with introduction of “Dissemination and establishment of Greek Cuisine” programme what was planned by the GNTO with the support of the 3rd CSF, The Federation of the catering business. She outlined that this program aimed at supporting business to disseminate and establish Greek traditional cuisine as national, local, and creative cuisine and as an important and easily identifiable element of the Greek tourism product. The other objectives of this program were the support of local businesses so that they could receive the GNOT certification as well as the dissemination of the Greek quality label, offering a competitive advantage to certified companies. In order to participate in the program, a firm should have a catering area (and a relevant license), where Greek Cuisine products are served, a functional and working preparation room, positive “Earnings Before Taxes” and depreciation during the last 3 years (2002, 2003, 2004) and belong to the following categories of business (restaurants as taverns, fish-taverns, ouzo-taverns, steakhouses, hotels and camping with dining facilities, conference centres, ski resorts etc. with dining facilities, cruise-boats and short-sea shipping companies with dining facilities). Participating companies should respect food safety and hygiene rules according to the Legislations, be controlled by the National Authorities, apply certified food safety systems, put a special poster, where the hygiene rules are written, in public display in the food preparation area, offer training on food safety to the owner or the manager of the business in collaboration with Authorities and offer training on food safety to the employees working in the food preparation area, with the use of the instruction book on hygiene rules edited by the Public Authorities. She said, that GNTO has been established as an agent of the State (in collaboration with the federation of the catering business) to control the quality of services offered in dining with administration of the Special Quality Label of Greek Cuisine supported by Law (2741/28-9-1999) and by the above program is mandatory. 5 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Report on the Workshop J “Local Products & Gastronomy” on 7 June 2013 in South Pelion Municipality, Greece by CHARTS MCU, June 2013 www.charts-interreg4c.eu The granting of the Special Quality Label for Greek Cuisine for catering businesses supported by the above program is mandatory. Outside the supported program, the administration of the special Label is optional, and regards as many catering companies wish and meet the criteria. The Special Label for Quality Greek Cuisine is administered to catering and leisure businesses at the request of the operator and is valid for three (3) years. The programs of subsidies began in 2005 and divided into A and B circle. The label was administered to