SESRIC participated in the 23^rd Meeting of the COMCEC Tourism Working Group, held under the theme of “Developing and Branding Gastronomy Tourism Destinations within OIC” on 24-25 September 2024, in Ankara, Republic of Türkiye.

The meeting brought together focal points from 23 OIC Countries alongside representatives from International Organisations and OIC Institutions, including SESRIC and academicians from Universities and experts in the field of gastronomy tourism.

The meeting sessions commenced with the presentation of the findings from the Tourism Outlook of OIC Countries, prepared by COMCEC Consultants. This was followed by the presentation of the draft Research Report on “Developing and Branding Gastronomy Tourism Destinations within OIC,” which highlighted key takeaways from case studies and surveys conducted in two OIC countries: the Maldives and Uganda. These findings were compared with the experiences of other OIC countries, particularly Türkiye and Egypt, as well as the non-OIC country Italy, providing valuable insights for improving the quality of gastronomy tourism in OIC countries.

During the meeting, OIC Member Countries – Algeria, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, the Maldives, Tunisia, and Türkiye – delivered presentations sharing their experiences in developing and branding gastronomic destinations.

The meeting concluded with a policy debate session, where delegates deliberated on the formulation of policy recommendations for the 40^th COMCEC Ministerial Session.

The Working Group (WG) mechanism serves as one of the main instruments of the COMCEC Strategy towards the realization of its objectives. The Strategy ensures active and direct involvement of the Member Country experts in the COMCEC cooperation areas, through regular WG meetings in each cooperation area. The WGs aims to produce and disseminate knowledge, and share experience and good practices. They also provide a suitable platform for creating a common understanding and approximating policies among the Member Countries to overcome their common development problems.

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