Culinary Expo To Boost Bali's Tourism

DENPASAR, Bali, March 15 (Antara) - The 'Bali Interfood 2017' culinary exhibition is expected to boost Bali's tourism development, given that food and beverage industry is one of the main tourism attraction. "Tourism industry is inseparable from food and drinks. Besides displaying food and drinks, the exhibition will also present culinary, equipment, and packing technologies," exhibition chief organizer Daud D Salim, who is also president director of Krista Exhibition, said in Denpasar on Tuesday. The culinary exhibition will be held from March 16 to 18, 2017, at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC) and will be attended by 110 participants from home and abroad. Most of the participants will be hotel staff and distributors or buyers of culinary products. Hence, the exhibition is expected to become a meeting place for food and beverage companies and consumers from abroad and home. More importantly, the event is expected to promote Indonesia's specialties. The exhibition will also include various events such as wine-mixing competition, cooking demonstration, and food seminars. The exhibition, which is held for the third time this year, will also hold a pastry and bakery competition for the first time, given the high demand for cake and pastry experts. Chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) for Bali, Cokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati, hoped that the exhibition would continue to be held in the future and would promote the local culinary items as well. "The objective of the program is to boost the growth of local culinary development and the utilization of local products. This is important because cultural tourism not only concerns people but also food," he stated. The Bali Interfood 2017 exhibition is also expected to produce new products and new culinary experts to support the tourism of the Island of the Gods.