Discover-Eat 2025 has been established as the first international forum on gastronomy, destinations and rural areas

From 8 to 11 June, Castilla-La Mancha will host the inaugural Discover-Eat 2025 forum, which brings together the worlds of gastronomy, tourism, identity and sustainable rural development. It is a meeting place for chefs, producers, entrepreneurs, tourism experts, communicators and agents of change who are united by a common mission: to promote the value of local produce and connect tourism with the region through cuisine, culture and landscape. The forum offers an immersive journey through the trend of gastronomic tourism, which tells stories, activates territories and connects tradition and innovation. The future of gastronomic tourism is being written in villages, too. Join us on a journey from Napa Valley to Tuscany, through the Peruvian Andes, and to the windmills of Campo de Criptana and Alcázar de San Juan, or the vineyards of Tomelloso.
 
The event will take place at various sites of iconic rural heritage in La Mancha, with the aim of raising awareness of, and recognition for, rural gastronomy as a driver of tourism and cultural development. The meeting will promote the exchange of best practices between successful gastronomic destinations while fostering new synergies between producers, chefs, tour operators, and tourism promoters. Castilla-La Mancha, home to the world's largest vineyard with 437,000 hectares under cultivation, provides an unparalleled setting in which to rethink the role of the rural environment on the global gastronomic map.

Discover-Eat 2025 will focus on defining passive and active tourist resources, with gastronomy serving as a unifying theme for experiencing and learning about the region. The clear aim is to establish rural gastronomy as a strategic asset for development, tourism and international promotion. The meeting will discuss strategies to establish rural regions as gastronomic destinations, focusing on the creation of quality products, the development of unique experiences, adequate infrastructure, and effective communication campaigns. The meeting will include an analysis of international success stories, such as Napa Valley in the United States, which is recognised for its leadership in wine tourism and gastronomy. It will also consider the importance of ancestral heritage in promoting sustainable rural economies, using the initiatives of chef Virgilio Martínez in Peru as an example.
 
Another central theme will be the emerging concept of luxury, which is now centred on authentic, artisanal experiences in direct contact with nature. There will also be discussion of the challenge of adapting these rural offerings to the demanding luxury gastronomic tourism market. Additionally, the conference will explore how France is responding to demand from new gastronomic tourists, and how effective collaboration can be fostered between the public and private sectors to promote rural destinations. Experts will analyse the importance of gastronomic heritage as a strategic resource for boosting the economy of these areas, and discuss the key role played by gastronomic storytelling in attracting visitors.

The event will explore the factors that ensure the success of restaurants in small rural towns, and the impact of new technologies such as augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and gamification on rural gastronomic tourism. Additionally, a broader perspective on wine tourism will be presented, expanding beyond traditional wineries to encompass cultural activities and supplementary experiences. Another topic of debate will be the management of recommendations and misinformation in global gastronomic communication, as well as the most effective strategies for attracting visitors to rural restaurants through influencers, digital media and strategic communication.
 
Finally, the case study of Alto Asón in Cantabria will be analysed. This area has developed an innovative gastronomic tourism offer based on local authenticity, demonstrating how lesser-known regions can become leading gastronomic destinations. Discover Eat 2025 is thus established as a pivotal event in promoting the sustainable and authentic development of gastronomic destinations in rural areas.