Our mission is to bring people together from across the culinary tourism industry to support the creation of shared food and drink experiences that celebrate the history, heritage, and culture of a destination.
Our vision is
to ensure food tourism
is a meaningful and sustainable contributor to local economies throughout Canada.
The Culinary Tourism Alliance works with communities to grow food tourism by leveraging the history, heritage, and culture behind the food and drink that makes each destination unique.
Operating as a not-for-profit food tourism development organization, our mandate is to:
Be a global leader in diverse and inclusive culinary and agritourism destination development
Build destinations’ taste of place by supporting agriculture, viticulture, and aquaculture industries across the culinary tourism value chain
Foster stakeholder engagement and relationship building resulting in new and/or enriched food and agritourism experiences that are mindful of the natural resources and cultural manifestations showcase
Seek and encourage mutually beneficial partnerships to increase capacity, leverage audiences, promote innovation and maximize resources
Promote authentic tastes of place by sharing stories with pride, respectfully honouring the cultures that create these experiences
The Culinary Tourism Alliance was established in 2006 to implement the 2005-2015 Ontario Culinary Tourism Strategy and Action Plan on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Sport. In 2011, we incorporated as a not-for-profit industry organization devoted to supporting the growth and development of food tourism throughout Canada.
In December 2022 we updated our Articles of Continuance to allow for new membership categories and in January 2023, we evolved our bylaws and began accepting membership from stakeholders across Canada.
We are people persons.
We've lived, worked, and studied in communities around the world.
These experiences, along with our project work and busy travel schedule, inform our unique and constantly evolving perspective on food tourism development.
What People Are Saying About Our Work
“Scotland Food & Drink and the Scottish Tourism Alliance launched Food Tourism Scotland, the very first action plan of its kind in the country, with an ambition to unlock a £1bn growth opportunity. This plan would not have been possible without the expertise of the Culinary Tourism Alliance whom we commissioned to guide us in the creation and development of the plan. With a strong global track record in helping destinations to put food tourism centre stage, they were obvious partners for this piece of work.”
— James Withers, CEO, Scotland Food & Drink
“Rebecca et son équipe ont démontré un intérêt immédiat dons notre mission dès les premiers contacts. Leur expertise de haut-niveau dans le tourisme culinaire est reconnue par l’industrie en Ontario, au Canada et á l’international. Le travail accompli et les recommendations proposées par la CTA sont á la fine pointe de nos besoins et de nos attentes et ‘cest avec grand plaisir que nous continuerons a collaborer avec eux dans les années á venir.”
— Isabelle de Bruyn, SEO Francophone Ontario
“The Culinary Tourism Alliance opened my eyes to the talent and industries in Canada and our place on the culinary map. Their events and programs have the ability to create real, lasting and positive change in the foodservice and tourism industries.”
— Post-Event Survey Response
Food Tourism
n. —Any travel experience where a person
learns about or consumes food and/or drink that reflects the history, heritage, and culture of a place.
Annual Impact Reports
The Culinary Tourism Alliance is leading efforts in community engagement, education and product development to promote the growth of the food tourism industry. Download one of our Annual Reports to find out more.
2023 REPORT
What’s Cooking in Food Tourism
at the Culinary Tourism Alliance and beyond
Industry Affiliations
Proud signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism
