Project partners advance on course development during South Africa meetings

The GastroTour team met in Stellenbosch and Cape Town this week for a key project meeting and an industry consultation focused on strengthening skills and business development in gastronomy and wine tourism. Funded through the Erasmus+ Capacity Building for Higher Education programme, GastroTour builds on initiatives such as Vita Global, EnoTour and CLIMAR to expand professional opportunities and innovative tools across Georgia, South Africa, Portugal, the Czech Republic and the Canary Islands.

Coordinated by Telavi State University (Georgia) with the support of Obreal and with the participation of sector leaders such as Creation Wines and Schuchmann, GastroTour is shaping a unique collaboration between universities and industry. This alliance aims to drive sustainable growth in gastronomy and wine tourism—two rapidly expanding sectors in the participating regions.

During the South Africa meetings, partners advanced the development of new online short courses designed for university students and practitioners. These sessions also brought together professional bodies and leading enterprises to discuss current skill needs and future workforce demands in the sector.

The visit included an in-depth look at successful community engagement and corporate social responsibility practices, including the Pebbles school project supported by Creation Wines in the Hermanus area of the Western Cape—an inspiring example of how the gastronomy and wine sector can contribute to local development.

The meetings reaffirmed the project’s strong collaboration with Stellenbosch University and CPUT, and highlighted how academic institutions and industry partners can jointly shape a more skilled, inclusive and sustainable gastronomy and wine tourism ecosystem.