UN Tourism is offering four scholarships for an online course in gastronomy tourism experience design, aimed at developing leaders in sustainable and responsible tourism, the agency said on July 2.
The scholarships point to the growing role of food in destination marketing, with gastronomy increasingly used as a tool to attract visitors, extend stays and support cultural preservation across regions.
The scholarships, offered in collaboration with the Basque Culinary Center, cover full access to the course, with two places for the English-language version and two for the Spanish. They are designed to support leaders committed to responsible tourism in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The course provides skills to design and oversee gastronomy tourism experiences, emphasising sustainability and cultural preservation, and examines the role of food in travel alongside digital tools for promoting tourism. Modules cover strategic planning, market profiles and segments, product and experience design, and gastronomy tourism marketing.
Delivered fully online with weekly live classes, the course runs from October 28 to March 19, 2027, with certification issued by the Basque Culinary Center’s Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences.
Applications opened on May 27 and close on September 11, with an evaluation period from September 14 to 30 and winners announced on October 9. Candidates complete an initial registration form before submitting a CV, personal statement and a two-minute video addressing their motivation.
Why it matters for the trade
Gastronomy tourism has moved from a niche add-on to a core driver of destination choice, and UN Tourism‘s backing signals its weight within sustainable tourism strategy. For the trade, the course points to rising demand for professionals who can design food-led experiences, an area operators and destinations are increasingly building into their product to differentiate and disperse visitors.