Romania’s Gastronomic Regions Strengthen Collaboration Through Strategic Partnership

In Bucharest, Romania’s three European Regions of Gastronomy, Harghita (awarded 2027), Banat (candidate 2028), and Dobrogea (candidate 2029), have joined forces in a new formal collaboration. The International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT) is excited to highlight this milestone, marked by a protocol signed at the National Institute of Heritage (INP), which lays the foundation for joint projects celebrating gastronomy, culture, and heritage.

The protocol, signed by Valeria-Oana Zaharia, Acting Manager of INP, together with representatives from each region, Szabó Károly (ADI Harghita), Dr. Simona Neumann (Visit Timiș), Carmen Ispas (UNPR RSE), and Teodora Moraru (UNPR RSE), sets a clear framework for cultural projects, gastronomic initiatives, and sustainable tourism programs.

“This partnership provides a practical mechanism for ensuring that initiatives are well documented, replicable, and deliver lasting impact beyond the years in which the title is held”, said Daniela Mihai, Deputy Director of INP. Harghita’s Executive Director, Szabó Károly, emphasized that as a title holder, the Region assumes responsibility for demonstrating that traditional gastronomy is living heritage, preserved through people, practices, and places.

Over recent years, the three regions have worked together informally through knowledge exchanges and mutual support. The new agreement within the IGCAT network gives this collaboration a strategic dimension, enabling joint national and international representation, coordinated promotional initiatives, and the development of interregional projects such as gastronomic routes, programs for local producers and young chefs, and European-level initiatives.

The partnership reflects a shared vision: leveraging Romania’s culinary diversity and cultural heritage to build a strong national voice within the European Regions of Gastronomy network and beyond. By joining forces, Harghita, Banat, and Dobrogea demonstrate that gastronomy-driven development is most effective when based on cooperation, complementarity, and long-term strategy.

As the awarding body of the European Region’s of Gastronomy, IGCAT commends the National Institute of Heritage and the three regions for creating a robust framework where gastronomy, heritage, and community intersect, and looks forward to supporting the operationalization of this collaboration through impactful projects, events, and knowledge-sharing in the years ahead.