On the afternoon of July 4th, the 2024 Food Tourism Development symposium was held in Hengyang. The meeting involved in-depth discussions on Hengyang's distinctive culinary development plan, strategies for the interactive development between the catering industry and tourism, and other related aspects. Shang Bin, member of the Party Group and Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and Xu Yunsheng, Vice Chairman of the Municipal Political Consultative Conference, attended the event.

Prior to the symposium, the research team visited various establishments including Quyuan Banquet Center, Pao Diao's Tang Bu Er, Master Ding's Barbecue, and Peng Haijun's Fish Powder, and conducted investigations into local cuisine and food culture in Hengdong County to learn about successful experiences and practices of renowned local cuisine in Hengyang.

During the meeting, representatives from catering enterprises, associations, media, and leaders of counties and districts actively provided suggestions and advice on topics such as branding of Hengyang stir-fry, integrated development of food tourism, and promotion of cultural and tourism resources.

After listening to everyone's speeches, Xu Yunsheng pointed out that Hengyang has a solid foundation in cuisine, diverse landmark ingredients, established brands, teams, markets, and a good reputation. He earnestly requested experts to propose more "effective prescriptions" to assist the provincial tourism development conference.

Dai Bin, Director of the China Tourism Academy, expressed that the research activities had left a deep impression and yielded substantial results. Hengyang boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage, a strong material foundation for cuisine, and multiple distinctive brands of Hunan cuisine characterized by modern innovation. He emphasized the importance of grasping consumer demands, focusing on the lifestyle changes of young consumers, and creating a new local cultural and tourism business card combining food and tourism.

Dr. Wu Fenglin, Director of the Planning Institute of the China Tourism Planning Research Institute, also participated in the meeting.

Translator: Jing