ATLAS Tourism and Gastronomy Group Expert Meeting

Fusion cuisine and placemaking

Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) Macau (China)
8-10 November 2006

In the face of increasing globalisation and localisation, cuisines are increasingly integrating culinary traditions and gastronomic innovations from different parts of the world. These new fusion cuisines are not just random mixtures of tastes and styles, but reflect the unique blends of cultures, which have emerged in different locations in different parts of the world.

Asia, with its rich history and mixture of culinary traditions is a particularly fertile area for the development of fusion cuisine. There are already a number of well-established fusion cuisines that date back hundreds of years, such as the Macanese cuisine of Macau or the Nyonya cuisine of Malaysia. Many of these cuisines originally emerged at the meeting of east and west, as local spices were added to western dishes and western ingredients were added to local foods.

This tradition of innovation is now being used to develop new styles of gastronomy that can create distinction for places in an increasingly competitive gastronomic and touristic landscape. As more people travel to sample the 'local' culture and atmosphere, food becomes an increasingly important means of emphasising difference and local identity. Gastronomy has therefore become integrated into the intangible culture of different tourist destinations, and declared as a part of the national heritage in order to preserve traditional recipes.

Increasingly, gastronomy is also becoming a field of creativity and innovation, where world-renowned chefs such as Ferran Adrià invent new cuisines using local and global ingredients. New fusion cuisines are also being created to add interest to traditional gastronomy, as in the case of 'new Asian cuisine'.

All of these developments are important for the future of tourist destinations in the Asia-Pacific region, as discerning tourists increasingly seek new experiences along the authentic, exotic tastes of traditional gastronomy. The aim of this conference is to highlight the role of cultural fusion in creating new gastronomic and touristic opportunities for destinations in Asia and other parts of the world.

The conference will bring together experts from around the world, including members of the Tourism and Gastronomy Group of ATLAS. The major themes to be covered by the conference will include:

The conference will consist of general conference sessions open to students, practitioners and policy makers, as well as academic session of the ATLAS Tourism and Gastronomy Group.

Call for papers

Papers are invited on subjects specifically related to the conference theme. An abstract of 500 words should be submitted to the ATLAS Secretariat (admin@atlas-euro.org) before June 15^th, 2006. All papers will be reviewed by members of the Scientific Committee. Authors of selected papers will be informed by August 15^th, 2006. Final papers should be submitted by October 1^st, 2006 to enable them to be included in the conference proceedings, which will be circulated at the conference.

A publication meeting will take place on the final day of the conference. Authors wishing to develop their papers into chapters for another publication in the ATLAS Tourism & Gastronomy series, dependent upon a suitable publisher being found, are invited to attend.

Important dates and deadlines

Abstract submission	June 15^th, 2006
Notification of acceptance	August 15^th 2006
Full paper submission	October 1^st, 2006
Conference	November 8-10, 2006

Scientific committee

Provisional programme

Conference venue

The conference will take place at the campus of the Institute for Tourism Studies, Macau. See www.ift.edu.mo

About Macau

The Macau Special Administrative Region of China is a rapidly and dynamically developing destination that combines its old-world charm as the first European city in East Asia and its transformation into a modern, vibrant, and cosmopolitan Chinese city that boasts a variety of visitor attractions ranging from gaming, the annual F3 Grand Prix to heritage and culinary delights. Macau is itself part of the Pearl River Delta tourism development region that includes the Hong Kong SAR and the Guangdong Province of China. With the great joy and pride, "The Historic Centre of Macau" was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2005. Macau can be easily accessed via direct ferry services from Hong Kong International Airport, or via direct flights from a number of Asian destinations to Macau. For more information, please visit: www.macautourism.gov.mo

About IFT

The Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) is a public institution of higher education, offering tourism and hospitality management education, as well as related professional training. In 1997, IFT was selected as the training the trainers centre and advisory service centre in the Asia Pacific region by the Network of Asia-Pacific Education and Training Institutes in Tourism (APETIT), a body fully supported by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

In the same year, IFT was granted, by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the Gold Award in “Education and Training”, which acknowledged the content and the quality of IFT’s courses. In 2002, IFT was presented, again, with the same award for having set up the “Macau Occupational skills Recognition System” (MORS) for the local tourism and hospitality industry. MORS has been developed by the Macau-Europe Centre for Advanced Tourism Studies (ME-CATS) which was jointly established by EU and IFT in 1999.

In 2000, IFT became the first educational institution to be granted the “TedQual Certification” of the World Tourism Organization (WTO). For more information about IFT, please visit www.ift.edu.mo

Meeting fee

Registration fees	Fee in €	Fee in $	Fee in MOP
ATLAS member	150	180	1440
Non ATLAS member	200	240	1920

Included in this fee will be:

Cancellation policy

If written cancellation is received before October 1^st 2006, a refund of all meeting fees will be made, minus an administration fee of € 25. No refund will be possible after October 1^st 2006, although substitute delegates may be nominated.

Recommended Hotels

Hotel Royal	Five Star Hotel		www.hotelroyal.com.mo
	Sun - Thurs	Fri	Sat
Standard Room	MOP 450	MOP 550	MOP 800
Premier Room*	MOP 600	MOP 700	MOP 900
All the above rates are inclusive of 10% service charge and 5% tourism tax. * Complimentary 2 buffet breakfasts

Pousada de Mong-Ha (Conference Hotel)	Educational Hotel of IFT		www.ift.edu.mo/ pousada/eng/index.htm
	Sun - Thurs	Fri	Sat
Single Room*	MOP 375	MOP 500	MOP 600
Twin Room*	MOP 450	MOP 600	MOP 800
Suite*	MOP 750	MOP 1,000	MOP 1,200
All the above rates are inclusive of 10% service charge and 5% tourism tax.* Complimentary 2 buffet breakfasts

Hotel Sintra	Three Star		www.hotelsintra.com
	Sun - Thurs	Fri	Sat
Superior Room	MOP 400	MOP 600	MOP 700
Deluxe Room	MOP 500	MOP 700	MOP 800
All the above rates are subject to 10% service charge and 5% tourism tax.Buffet breakfast at $45.00++ per person.

Registration