Catalunya was recognized as a World Region of Gastronomy in 2025 by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT). This project positioned gastronomy as a driver for transformation and cohesion, linking it with tourism, rural development, local products, sustainability, culture, and the preservation of culinary heritage.
The global report for the event records a total of 1,887 adhesions and over 455 activities carried out across Catalunya. The Tourism Board of the Diputació de Lleida joined the initiative, encouraging sector participation to offer a program of quality activities that would establish the demarcation as an enogastronomic destination and showcase its agri-food products.
Among the most relevant actions with Lleida's presence are the campaign Catalunya, the best cuisine in the world, presented at the Palau de la Música; the Som Gastronomia World Tour presentations in international cities such as Tokyo and Shanghai; the International Enotourism Forum at Barcelona Wine Week, with the participation of the Ruta del Vi de Lleida; Tasty Catalonia, The content Creator’s Event, a strategic action with content creators from key markets; and the Workshop Buy Catalonia, The Buyers event, which brought together international tourism operators and Catalan companies, including a familiarization trip through the Terres de Lleida and Pirineus.
The Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (DARPA) also led actions to highlight the agri-food heritage and the people who make it possible, emphasizing the connection between food, territory, and traditional knowledge. These actions include 12 months, 12 gastronomic landscapes, The heroes of the pantry (with seven activities in Lleida, such as the final of the Lliga del Porc i la Forquilla at the Fira de Sant Miquel), Gastrosàvies (interviewing 40 women from Lleida to preserve culinary knowledge), and an oleotourism day at Mas Boronat to promote Catalan olive oil.
The recognition of Catalunya as World Region of Gastronomy 2025 has served to give visibility to the products, producers, traditional cuisine, and enogastronomic experiences of the Lleida regions, both through activities deployed in the territory and through external promotion and commercialization actions.
