On 28 November, Tunis will become the capital of culinary and creative tourism at an international conference bringing together international experts and journalists, as well as Tunisian entrepreneurs and organisations interested in these new sustainable tourism offerings.

The event is part of The Culinary Route of Tunisie (*), which aims to convert the richness of Tunisia’s culinary heritage into tourism experiences that will appeal to new travellers in search of authenticity.

The conference is one of the stages in the implementation of the Route which, after months of training and co-creation, was inaugurated on 27 September last, as part of World Tourism Day.

It will provide an international showcase for the hundred or so experiences created around 6 flagship products, including workshops to learn how to make cheese or wine in the North, Harissa in Cap Bon, olive oil-based cosmetics in the Centre and Dahar, octopus fishing in Kerkennah, and date picking in the South.

It will also be a meeting point for international experts in wine tourism and sustainable tourism, with the aim of exchanging best practice, particularly in terms of the models to follow to make virtuous tourism a tool of governance for destinations and regions, as well as creating future partnerships that will position Tunisia within international networks.

In fact, the conference, which is supported by the highest authorities in the sector via the participation of representatives from the World Tourism Organisation, the OECD, the European Union, the Tunisian National Tourist Office and, of course, Mr. Mohamed Moez Belhassine, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, will also be honouring the protagonists of this culinary offer, namely the farmers, the gîte owners, and Tunisian agencies, who are now ready to meet foreign demand and will benefit from networking opportunities.

Trophies will be awarded to them, jointly by the Minister of Tourism and representatives of the Creative Tourism Network®, which will ensure that creative Tunisia shines in the years to come.

Finally, the floor will be given to tour operators and journalists from Italy, France and the UK, who are currently taking part in the press trips, to discover the experiences spread throughout the country, some of which will be filmed, to be discovered soon on one of the most prestigious cultural television channels!

All the best omens will be in place on 28 November to make Tunisia a benchmark destination for sustainable, culinary and creative tourism.

See the program

The Culinary Route of Tunisia Press kit

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(*) The Culinary Route of Tunisia is a program implemented by the Ministry of Tourism with the support of GIZ and funded jointly by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union as part of its “Tounes Wijhetouna” programme.

Participating students are asked to consider creative ways to illustrate key recommendations that could help ensure a sustainable talent pipeline for the future of the sector at a local level, helping to develop their research skills, analytical skills, and communication skills, all of which are essential for a successful career in travel & tourism.

At our conference, we celebrate the freedom and flexibility that comes with the digital nomad lifestyle. Tralee, a picturesque town nestled in the stunning southwest of Ireland, sets the stage for this remarkable gathering. Imagine a backdrop of lush green landscapes, charming streets, and a vibrant local culture that inspires creativity and fuels your professional growth. We are withing 30 mins from both the local mountains and beaches - with an abundance of outdoor activities available for our delegates too.

L.E. Miami, the annual summit of the best worldwide in high-end hospitality, landed in South Beach this week, where hundreds of brands, lifestyle media, designers, entertainers, hotel and travel pros gathered for four days of industry trailblazing. The hottest ticket was the opening night conversation between Ian Schrager and his longtime creative, A Hotel Life founder Ben Pundole.

Ian and Ben spoke to the filled-to-over-capacity room, (because if anyone knows how to bring a crowd, it’s these two) for an in depth industry discussion about starting an empire with Studio 54, breaking the mold and redefining hospitality as we know it today, and Ben’s nearly twenty-five years of “the wildest ride anyone in our industry could possibly dream of.” A Hotel Life was there to report.

On saying, “You cannot have an analog definition of luxury in a digital world.”

Ian: You have to be willing to break the rules and do something that hasn’t been done before, test the market and poke the bear. You have to do it in a fast and edgy way, and risk being ineffective and a failure. If you can do that and act lighting quick and be on the edge, on the cusp, then I think you can get rid of the analog and be digitized in modern life. 

On the real definition of a boutique hotel. 

Ian: Steve [Rubell, hospitality partner and Studio 54 co-founder] and I wanted to do a hotel that manifested pop culture and our generation, not  a continuation of those first big American hotels in the early 1900s that everyone else copied up until that time. When we did Morgans Hotel in 1982, it was considered “the world’s first boutique hotel.” We wanted something that was edgy and innovative, something that would pick up the baton from Studio and continue with the next leg. 

People don’t realize [now] the number of radical things we did- like there was no concierge because everyone working was meant to be the concierge. It took off like a bat out of hell and was a natural success because it was a new product and everybody knew it. There were different uniforms, from Armani and Calvin Klein, just [all these elements] done by people who had never done a hotel before. It was the first to set the tone, a hotel geared towards the people who lived in the city, not the guests. Because the guests come to New York or any city you’re in, and they want to be and go where the people who know that city go. The other thing we did was not use food and beverage as a loss leader- we did it to make money. The food and beverage turned out to be very profitable for us and now business standard is 50% of the profits come from F&B and 50% comes from the rooms. 

On working with the most celebrated artists and designers in the world- Herzog & de Meuron, John Pawson, Philippe Starck, Julian Schnabel, Francesco Clemente, Keith Haring- and the qualities to look for in a collaborator. 

Ian: I look for a collaboration. I’m not interested in hiring a designer and having them just do it, because if they could do it themselves, they would do it on their own and they’d be a hotelier. It is a collaboration and I’m only interested in one thing- doing the best product imaginable. If there’s one thing I can pass on to people, it’s don’t take anything from designers who won’t listen to you just because they’re designers. They have a craft and a talent that you may not have, that I may not have. And I’m not a designer, but I am a team leader, a coach, and I try to get the best out of everyone in collaborating. And the really great designers- they want to be pushed to do the best thing they can possibly do. The most important thing is the collaboration- you’re the hotelier, they’re not. And when I choose a designer it’s something that speaks to me. 

On the big changes in travel and lifestyle media in the last decade, and the blurred lines between traditional media, social media, influencer opinion, etcetera. 

Ian: I’m still trying to figure it out because it’s still so new. One thing I don’t like is when influencers try to get free rooms. I could really go on about that one. We’re all learning how to communicate, but you have time to figure it out as long as the product is great. Steve Jobs said, “Nothing else matters but the product. If the product is great, the rest will take care of itself.” I feel the same way. All these things we have to figure out- technology, the booking engines, and everything else that’s the future of our industry, none of it matters without a great product. 

On the greatest lessons from Studio 54, which was open for just 33 months and gave recognition, contacts and the motivation to catapult a hotel career. 

Ian: Pay your taxes! And- that it’s all about the product. Nothing else matters but the product, nothing. Studio 54 was like holding onto a lightning bolt, and it became about just feeding the monster. It got to be intoxicating for both Steve and I. One thing I never learned is to play by the rules- I mean that seriously. We were so taken up by the success of it we thought maybe the rules didn’t apply to us, but boy, we found out pretty quickly how that went. 

On greatest passions outside hotels. 

Ian: My family, far and away. I didn’t get married until later, I had done everything and then some, and now I just couldn’t be happier in this part of my life. I love my wife, I love my family, I have 5 kids, and I do my work. 

Ben: Age is clearly a state of mind, and you’re definitely one of the youngest people I know. You’ve got more motivation, ambition and cultural awareness than anybody. What is your secret? 

Ian: No secret, I love what I do. I don’t do it for money, I do it because I love it and I have to. That’s it. It’s not a job; I think to be good at something you have to love what you do, and if you don’t love it, you should move into something else because life’s too short. The journey is too short. If you can love your life and the people you’re with, and your family and what you do, you are the richest person in the entire world. 

Ben: Ian has certainly influenced my life, and inspired our entire industry. Since 1999, twenty-four years ago, we have done some incredible things together, and opened some beautiful hotels. Any favorite moments?

Ian: I think there’s one thing that sticks out that perhaps only Ben and I can really understand. We had just opened up the EDITION Hotel in Times Square. Diana Ross was up there entertaining and she called Nile Rogers out on the stage and they were performing together. I was sitting on the side with my family, Ben was right in the thick of it in a booth looking right at the stage. Our eyes caught each other, and boy, only he and I knew. I looked at his face, and the supreme enjoyment that he had by doing something that turned on all these people. When I looked at him I knew, because I felt it right back. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

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