Greece’s South Aegean Region has officially submitted its candidacy for the title of World Region of Gastronomy 2028, seeking international recognition for one of the country’s most distinctive culinary landscapes.
The bid makes the South Aegean the first Greek region to pursue the title awarded through the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT). It follows the region’s recognition as European Region of Gastronomy in 2019, a distinction that helped elevate the food culture of the Dodecanese and Cyclades on the international stage.
The candidacy was approved by the South Aegean Regional Council, which authorized Greek Regional Governor George Hatzimarkos to complete the process. The goal is to promote the gastronomic identity of the region’s fifty inhabited islands and connect local cuisine with culture, tourism, education, and sustainable development.
For the South Aegean Region, the 2028 bid is the next step in a long-term strategy that began in 2014 and expanded significantly after the 2019 European distinction.
Over the past decade, the region has supported more than forty gastronomy festivals and culinary events each year, helping local communities showcase traditional products, recipes, and food customs. It has also backed the participation of local producers in international exhibitions, providing island businesses with greater access to global markets.
At the same time, emerging chefs have been promoted as ambassadors of Aegean cuisine, while gastronomy has become part of the region’s broader planning for tourism, education, and local development. Food is being presented as more than a travel experience in the South Aegean. It is a link between landscape, memory, agriculture, family tradition, and the identity of each island.
The candidacy is supported by an alliance of twelve organizations from the Dodecanese and the Cyclades, bringing together institutions from tourism, education, business, hospitality, culture, and food production.
The Regional Stakeholders Committee includes the Chambers of Commerce of the Dodecanese and the Cyclades, the University of the Aegean, the Hotel Associations of Rhodes, Kos, and Santorini, the Federation of Cultural Associations of Rhodes, the Chefs’ Club of the Dodecanese and Cyclades, and the Association of Aegean Islands Winemakers and Vinegrowers. Their participation reflects the scale of the effort and the region’s attempt to establish a common platform for the promotion of island gastronomy internationally.
Το Νότιο Αιγαίο διεκδικεί τον Τίτλο της Παγκόσμιας Περιφέρειας Γαστρονομίας 2028 https://t.co/M2RuIN6ykC
— Syros Agenda (@syrosagenda) July 1, 2026
The South Aegean’s proposed initiatives plan includes over fifty events for 2028, ranging from culinary routes and island-based cultural experiences to educational programs and support for agri-food businesses.
One of the central programs is “Gastro Zero Waste,” which focuses on reducing waste and encouraging more responsible practices in the food and hospitality sectors. The plan also places emphasis on documenting gastronomic heritage, supporting young people and professionals through training, and strengthening cooperation among island regions.
