Dénia strengthens its relationship with Bergen to become a destination for Norwegian tourists
Since Dénia was named the Creative City of Gastronomy, in December of 2015, the city has significantly increased its international contacts, placing itself on the world map of gastronomy.
The last agreements reached in this sense have been in Norway. Specifically in Bergen, where Dénia participated in the Matfestival with its own stand. There it was agreed with tour operators and representatives of travel agencies in the region a series of visits in the coming weeks to get to know the city and its surroundings in order to reinforce its presence in its offers of tourist destinations.
The Mayor of Dénia, Vicent Grimalt, accompanied by the director of the Office of Innovation and Creativity, Floren Terrades, and the Pepa Cardona Tourism Technician, held last Thursday, upon his arrival in Bergen, a working meeting with representatives from different local institutions related to tourism promotion and economic development.
The meeting was attended by the head of Marketing of the Tourist Board, Marianne Johnsen, the business policy director of the Local Chamber of Commerce, Atle Kvamme, and Tone Artvedt, from the group Invest in Bergen. The two cities agreed on ways of collaboration in commercial, gastronomic and tourist matters. In order to better understand the respective offers, it was decided to organize the visit of tour operators and travel agencies. The airport of Alicante maintains daily flights with the one of Bergen, what facilitates the connection between Dénia and the Norwegian city.
More than 1.000 paella rations
During the Matfestival, Dénia distributed promotional brochures and attended to the information demands of visitors. In addition, the stand offered tastings of paella and cocas the three days that lasted the contest. It is estimated that more than 1.000 portions of paella and as many portions of classic cocas were distributed: tomacat, anchovies ... Dénia's stand also showed products from the Marina Alta, such as Alcalalí almonds, nuts, oil and salted fish.
The culinary area was covered by Vicent Almela, cooking teacher of the María Ibars Institute, and middle-school students Rafael Ferrando and Caitlin Knappen, who, coinciding with the festival, completed one of the Erasmus + exchange training exchange stays. Young people for a creative and sustainable cuisine, financed with funds from the European Union.
Vicent Almela, in addition, starred in one of the showcooking programmed at the festival, cooking a rice a banda. Likewise, he participated in a gastronomic experience proposed by the organization of the event: the participating chefs, without prior notice, received local Bergen products to be used in an improvised elaboration. Vicent Almela and her students received the cod, which they prepared with an oyster sauce.
Dinner for 150 people
The five Creative Cities present, including Bergen, prepared a dinner for 150 people, among authorities and guests. The dianenses representatives assumed the preparation of the dessert, presenting a traditional "coca dolça". In addition to Dénia and Bergen, at the Matfestival there were delegations from Alba (Italy), which promoted its hazelnuts; Burgos, who prepared a classic "rotten pot"; and Florianópolis (Brazil), who carried out cooking demonstrations with cassava.
Visit to OsØyro
Once the festival was over, on Monday, before undertaking the return, the Dianense delegation visited the municipality of OsØyro, in the Bergen region, where a project of reunion between local producers and chefs is underway, a program with many in common with the one that is being developed in Dénia. In the meeting with the mayor, Marie BruarØy, both municipalities agreed to collaborate on the respective projects and open new channels of relationship in the tourism field.
