Developing Canadian Culinary Tourism at the 2024 Taste of Place Summit
From May 26-28, the Culinary Tourism Alliance, together with l’Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) and George Brown College, hosted the second annual Taste of Place Summit (TOPS) in Montréal, Québec!
TOPS featured two days of programming designed to enhance the culinary tourism industry across Canada. Read on for a recap of our event as well as a sneak peek at next year’s slate of programming.
The Taste of Place Summit registration desk was supported by a team of volunteers from the ITHQ’s Events Program.
May 26th - Welcome Reception
On Sunday evening, TOPS delegates had the opportunity to stop by the ITHQ to pick up their registration package and enjoy local beverages at the Taste of Place welcome reception. Delegates enjoyed a glass of Vignoble de l'Orpailleur Brut sparkling wine and heard remarks from a few distinguished speakers:
Rebecca Mackenzie, President and CEO, Culinary Tourism Alliance
France Dionne, Executive General Director, ITHQ
Maureen Riley, Vice President, Industry Engagement, Destination Canada
After the reception, delegates ventured out for dinner at some of Montréal’s many restaurants.
At the Welcome Reception, guests enjoyed a glass of l'Orpailleur Brut sparkling wine by Vignoble de l'Orpailleur.
May 27th - Learning Journeys
After a few opening remarks, Taste of Place Summit delegates set off on one of five learning journeys for an insider look at some of the province’s best-in-class culinary and agritourism stops:
The Eastern Townships, southeast of Montréal
The Laurentides, north of Montréal
Montérégie, southwest of Montréal
Montréal’s Iconic Jewish Dishes city walking tour
Montréal’s Urban Agriculture city bus tour
The morning dawned blustery and rainy, but the bad weather soon cleared up and our tours enjoyed some sunny weather as they traveled both on and off the island of Montréal.
The group that headed out on Montréal’s Iconic Jewish Dishes walking tour enjoyed treats at 8 different stops!
Our learning journey to the Laurentides included a visit to the beautiful Maison Lavande for valuable lessons in merchandising, experiential tourism and more.
May 28th - Conference Keynotes and Panels
On Tuesday, the Air Canada Main Stage saw an action-packed schedule of keynotes and panel discussions.
Opening Keynote
Ecuadorian Chef Rodrigo Pacheco delivered a dynamic and inspiring keynote titled Building the Largest Edible Forest in the World: A Chef’s Role in Regenerative Agriculture and Tourism. Chef Pacheco developed the largest biodiverse edible forest in the world as an environmental conservation mechanism catalyzed by gastronomy through his Bocavaldivia Foundation. Click here to learn more.
Chef Rodrigo Pacheco delivers his keynote address.
Panel: Preserving Culinary Traditions through Immersive Learning Experiences
Carl-Éric Guertin, Executive Director of the ÉCONOMUSÉE Network Society, spoke with three ÉCONOMUSÉES operators about creating unique and memorable experiences for visitors:
Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote, Co-founder, Co-owner, and CEO, Black Fox Farm and Distillery, Saskatchewan
Émilie Gaudreault, Owner, Délices du Lac-Saint-Jean, Québec
Patrick Dupuis, Owner, Old School Cheesery, Alberta
L to R: Patrick Dupuis, Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote, Émilie Gaudreault, Carl-Éric Guertin
Panel: Gateways to Taste of Place – The Role of Airports in Celebrating Canadian Foodways
Moderator Geneviève Piché (Manager, Maple Leaf Lounges, Air Canada) led an insightful panel discussion about the role of airports in highlighting Canadian foodways. The panelists represented different regions and shared their perspectives on the airport experience:
Lisa Olie, General Manager, Liquid Assets NS at Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)
Nikos Mantis, President, Nomad Bakeshop & Sandwich Bar at Thunder Bay Airport (YQT)
Eric Pateman, Chief Experience Officer & VP, Passenger Experience at Vancouver Airport Authority (YVR)
L to R: Lisa Olie, Nikos Mantis, Eric Pateman, Geneviève Piché
Conversation: Setting the Table – Destinations Strategically Investing in Culinary Tourism
Rebecca Mackenzie (President + CEO, Culinary Tourism Alliance) sat down with Yves Lalumière (President & CEO, Tourisme Montréal) to discuss the city’s strategic long-term investment in culinary tourism. They touched on the lingering effects of the pandemic, rebuilding a food scene in a challenging economy, and even the possibility of the Michelin Guide awarding some coveted stars to Montréal restaurants in a future edition.
L to R: Rebecca Mackenzie, Yves Lalumière
Getting READI for Growing Culinary and Agritourism in Canada
Before we broke for lunch, Anne-Marie Forcier (Director of Program Development, Tourism Industry Association of Canada) discussed TIAC’s READI program, which empowers the industry with the information and tools needed to stay competitive and succeed in the post-pandemic economy.
Anne-Marie Forcier discusses TIAC’s READI program. Not pictured: Anne-Marie’s eye-catching sparkly shoes!
Lunch: A Taste of the Local Terroir
For lunch, our delegates enjoyed the best of what Québec has to offer! The menu was crafted with local products provided by our partners at the following organizations:
Conversation: Nurturing Indigenous Culinary Tourism
After lunch, we joined Pierre Kanapé (Development Advisor, Indigenous Tourism Québec) in conversation with Chef Maxime Lizotte (Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation) and Chef Stéphane Modat (Le Clan Restaurant, Québec City). The trio discussed the state of Indigenous culinary tourism in Québec and beyond, as well as their thoughts on how to use food to expand Indigenous tourism activities in a thoughtful and collaborative way.
L to R: Stéphane Modat, Maxime Lizotte, Pierre Kanapé
Media Panel: The Recipe for Telling Your Taste of Place Story
Next up was a lively discussion on pitching your destination’s story to media outlets. Moderator Pay Chen and panelists Kate Dingwall and Julie Van Rosendaal are prolific writers with a wealth of experience in the culinary space. They shared how their approach to storytelling has shifted due to the rise of digital, how to craft a great pitch, and how to get your story in front of readers (hint: be ready when a writer comes knocking!). This panel was supported by tartanbond.
L to R: Julie Van Rosendaal, Kate Dingwall, Pay Chen
Panel: Nurturing Tastes of Place in Rural Canada
The last panel of the day featured a panel discussion on promoting culinary tourism in rural Canada. Our three panelists shared their thoughts on developing rural Canada’s tourism sector:
Andi Dzilums, Destination Development Manager, Travel Alberta
Emily Haynes, Executive Director, Taste of Nova Scotia
Nadia Dufour, Customer Experience Consultant, Terroir et Saveurs du Québec
This panel was moderated by Arlene Stein, Founder and Executive Director, Terroir Symposium and advocate for social and environmental responsibility in the hospitality industry.
L to R: Andi Dzilums, Nadia Dufour, Emily Haynes, Arlene Stein
Closing Keynote
Jean-Martin Fortier, farmer, educator, and best-selling author delivered a passionate appeal to the audience in his keynote address, Agritourism for a Sustainable Future. He discussed his origins as a McGill School of Environment student-turned-small-scale-farmer, how he transformed his two acre garden into a profitable enterprise, and the winding road that led him to open his new farm-to-table restaurant and market garden space, Espace Old Mill.
Chef JM left us with these words:
“The four seasons in Canada bring different things to the table, and that diversity is what we should be branding and selling to the world.”
Summit Wrap-Up
During the closing remarks, we heard from two of our 2025 Taste of Place Summit destinations, Visit Mississauga and Destination Markham. We’re looking forward to touring these destinations along with Wine Country Ontario and Toronto as the Summit returns to George Brown College in Toronto for our 2025 edition.
Lastly, our friends at Air Canada led us through an interactive game and awarded a $3,200 travel voucher to one lucky delegate.
And with that, the 2024 Taste of Place Summit came to a close!
Looking Forward to 2025
In 2025, the Taste of Place Summit returns to Toronto! Please save the date and join us at George Brown College on April 27-29, 2025. Our delegates will travel to exciting destinations in and around the Greater Toronto Area, including Markham, Mississauga, Wine Country Ontario, and downtown Toronto. More details to follow – keep an eye on the Culinary Tourism Alliance Instagram account for future updates!
The 2024 Taste of Place Sponsors
Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for making the 2024 Taste of Place Summit possible!
Air Canada
tartanbond
Tourisme Montréal
Artisans at Work | ÉCONOMUSÉE® Network Society
Bonjour Québec
Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants
Destination Markham
Destination Northern Ontario
Gouvernement du Québec
La Table Ronde
Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec
Ministère du Tourisme du Québec
Olymel
Société des alcools du Québec
Terroir et Saveurs du Québec
Tourism Industry Association of Canada
Tourisme Cantons-de-l'Est
Tourisme Laurentides
Tourisme Montérégie
Tourismo
Twenty Two Media Group
United Nations World Tourism Organization
Visit Mississauga
