Thessaloniki: It is part of the Network of Creative Cities of Gastronomy of UNESCO

Thessaloniki is the first Greek city to achieve its inclusion in the Network of Creative Cities of Gastronomy (Unesco) of Unesco.

Responding to the invitation of Unesco regarding the Network of Creative Cities of Gastronomy, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, responsible for the thematic forms of Tourism, Sofia Zacharaki, mobilized the bodies of the Local Government for the process and coordinated the actions for the submission of the files.

The Undersecretary of Tourism made the following statement: “The distinction of Thessaloniki and its choice by Unesco to become a member of the Network of Creative Cities of Gastronomy is a great joy for us, but also a justification of the many months of effort we made for information, coordination and all were required in order to support the interested municipalities in creating and submitting their files.

Creative Cities of Gastronomy is a network of cities with a tradition in gastronomy and promotes Cultural Diversity and Sustainable Urban Development. The importance of the Network lies in the fact that it facilitates the member cities in the exchange of experiences, know-how and resources in this subject.

At the same time, it acts in support of the creative, social and economic potential of the wider region. The benefits of such a participation are enormous for the city selected by Unesco.

This distinction is added to the dynamics of Thessaloniki, which in combination with the 15 Unesco monuments at its disposal, has all the guarantees to develop and become even more as a tourist and cultural destination.

I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart the President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who supported the Greek request, the UNESCO Ambassador Marianna Vardinoyannis, the Unesco National Committee, the Permanent Representative of Greece to the UNESCO Thessaloniki Konstantinos Zervas, the Deputy Mayor of Tourism Maria Karagianni and the team of collaborators in the Ministry of Tourism and the Municipality of Thessaloniki, who contributed decisively to such a positive result. The teamwork paid off and we are so excited about it. “

For his part, the Mayor of Thessaloniki Konstantinos Zervas stated:

“Many times I talk about what I call an alliance of good and creation for Thessaloniki. In this case, we formed an alliance with exactly these characteristics, in this case the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the Greek Government – Ministry of Tourism and the Greek National Commission Unesco, having at our side in this national effort the President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, whom we thank for its decisive contribution.

At the invitation of the Deputy Minister of Tourism Sofia Zacharaki in all municipalities, we diligently prepared and submitted to the Municipality of Thessaloniki a complete file and highlighted, among other things, the history of the city, our gastronomic tradition as formed over the centuries, the international work of science and research community in the field of food, as well as the creative potential of the city.

The candidacy file of Thessaloniki was warmly supported by the Ministry of Tourism and the competent Deputy Minister Sofia Zacharaki, but also at the highest level by the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis himself, as well as by the Greek Goodwill Ambassador of Unesco Marianna Vardino.

Through this creative synergy we reached the goal of announcing Thessaloniki, in Paris, as a member of the Network of Creative Cities of Gastronomy of Unesco. After all, gastronomy is a key comparative advantage of Thessaloniki – our city is a crossroads of tastes and cultures, now with the Unesco stamp. Good local cuisine is the backbone of the gastronomic offer, it is rewarded financially and upgrades the travel experience “.