The Management of National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism(NIHOTOUR) have announced their hosting of Gastronomy Festival, at the Abuja International Conference Centre. The event will hold on June 16 and 17. This year’s Gastronomy Festival is the third consecutive food and beverage exhibition and sampling event annually organized byNIHOTOUR, since 2021.

The year’s theme is: “Culinary Arts: The Gate Way to Growing Tourism Destination”. Disclosing highlights of this year’s event in his office in Abuja, Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa, Director General of NIHOTOUR said the event will feature, amongst others, exhibition of indigenous gastronomy by exhibitors prominent among which are, the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), that will as usual, showcase indigenous Nigerian cuisines from the six-geopolitical zones of the country.

The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism of Nigeria is established by an Act of Parliament to train, certify and register personnel in Nigeria’s Hospitality, Travel and Tourism sectors. Accordingly, NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival is conceptualised to upskill Nigerian gastronomes on nitty-gritties of the preparation and presentation of foods, especially Nigerian traditional cuisines, with the objective of improving the expertise of personnel in the industry. Moreover, due to the dearth of skilled culinary artists in Nigeria, NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival provides one of the best opportunities for hospitality and tourism stakeholders, students, and enthusiasts to have hands-on learning and perspectives on the sustainability of developing tourism destinations using activities of Gastronomy Festivals as promotional tools. Further to, with the preponderance of ‘Bush Meat’ hunting, using traps, in Nigeria, which inadvertently endangers wildlife and hinders Nigeria’s wildlife conservation e<orts, the Gastronomy Festival will copiously advocate for Responsible Tourism practices in Nigeria.