Digital communication provides a scenario in which to promote gastronomy, and the State can take advantage of this tool to make the country’s culinary tradition known internationally, Bolivar Troncoso and Luis Marino Lopez, of the Dominican Flavors Foundation (FSD), told Listin Diario on the occasion of the upcoming celebration of the Dominican Gastronomic Forum with the theme “How to take advantage of digital communication in gastronomy”.
Troncoso, who chairs the FSD, recalled that social networks have become one of the fundamental instruments for disseminating messages, guidance and information, and that the new gastronomy is using them as one of its fundamental axes of diffusion.
The State, he said, can take advantage of digital tools through interactive campaigns on different platforms with the support of industry influencers who have an international audience.
López, an entrepreneur and founding member of the FSD, suggested working together with Dominican embassies and diplomatic representatives abroad to organize digital gastronomic events and also facilitate exchanges between Dominican chefs and international chefs, encouraging the creation of traditional dishes and fusions and exchanging experiences through networks.
“There is a variety of digital strategies that generate great visibility to promote Dominican flavors worldwide, which we can and should take advantage of, for which a sustained action plan proposal should be stimulated through digital media,” added the restaurant sector entrepreneur, who believes that these types of platforms “can be effective in preserving and promoting the culinary traditions of a destination, specifically tourist destinations.”
Decades ago, when the late Simón Romero was the promoter par excellence of Dominican gastronomy from the Ministry of Tourism (then Secretary of State for Tourism), this promotion was done through gastronomic contests with restaurateurs and hoteliers. In the present century, the State promotes the Dominican culinary tradition through the organization of the Dominican Nights in fairs and tourist exchanges.
According to Troncoso, if digital communication is the fundamental instrument for the diffusion of gastronomy today, “the State must use it and, in fact, it is a tool that the Ministry of Tourism is already using”.
The FSD president stated that digital communication has changed the way food is prepared, enjoyed and shared, and that this is mainly due to the ease with which recipes and information are distributed through different platforms, reaching a wider audience.
“Digital media have become the main channel for discovering new places, preparations and gastronomic trends,” he asserted.
Therefore, its use in the restaurant sector can be very effective to promote products and services, but for this “it is necessary to have a good communication strategy, create attractive and relevant content, interact actively with the audience, use good quality designs and images and know all the tools offered by these platforms to improve our online presence.”
DOMINICAN GASTRONOMIC FORUM
Fundación Sabores Dominicanos is holding this Saturday, September 30, 2023 the ninth edition of the Dominican Gastronomic Forum, with the theme “How to take advantage of digital communication in gastronomy”. The event will take place in the Horacio Álvarez Saviñón auditorium of the Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University (UNPHU), from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
In the ninth version of the Dominican Gastronomic Forum experts will address topics such as “Positioning the branding of a gastronomic tourist destination”, “Value of digital media in the projection of gastronomic content”, “Guidelines or techniques for good writing of the gastronomic theme”, “Gastronomic photography as an input for digital communication”, “The new scenario of communication and its impact on gastronomy”, “Taking advantage of platforms in the projection of gastronomy” and “Gastronomic business intelligence from digital media”.
The Dominican Gastronomic Forum promotes research, analysis, training, creativity and the transmission of successful experiences, with a view to the positioning and national and international exposure of Dominican gastronomy.
Source: Mitur.gob.do