The Association of Tourism Development in Moldova (ADTM), organized on December 21, 2022, the Final Conference of the Project on “Local Development and Cross-Border Cooperation in the Area of Agricultural Products and Traditional Food (LOC FOOD)” BSB1101 funded with the support of the Joint Operational Programme Black Sea Basin 2014–2020. The event was attended by representatives of state institutions, educational institutions, representative associations and entrepreneurs.

The event was dedicated to the totals and results of the project, which contributed to the aggregation of the efforts of local producers for the development of the traditional products sector, and also to the promotion of traditional products and food, which can and do become the business card of local tourist destinations. Also, ADTM representatives talked about the benefits of the association of local producers at the level of agro-tourism destinations in the Republic of Moldova.

Gastronomic tourism, which puts culinary traditions in the spotlight, is on the rise as more and more travelers look to food as a determining factor when making holiday plans. Thus, thanks to this project, over 300 local traditional dishes have been identified, including some to be registered as traditional specialties guaranteed.

At the event, the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) was represented by Victoria Pulbere, deputy head of the Trademarks and Industrial Design Department, who presented the process of registering the five dishes, identified within the project, as Traditional Specialties Guaranteed (TSG). Information on the TSG examined can be accessed at: http://www.db.agepi.md/GeogrIndications/SearchGI.aspx. Also, Victoria Pulbere encouraged accessing, using and completing the Map of Traditional Moldovan Products, http://harta-ig.agepi.gov.md/, which represents an opportunity to promote traditional Moldovan products.