Destination Vancouver and Air Canada partnered with leading chefs from Vancouver and Sydney to host a unique dining experience at AALIA restaurant in Martin Place, as part of a travel trade sales mission.
The event in Sydney on Thursday evening, was attended by media guests and key travel trade partners selling Vancouver including Helloworld, Adventure World, APT, Scenic, Flight Centre, Virtuoso, Entire Travel, Ski Max and Sno N Ski, who all got to experience a taste of Vancouver through their World Chef Exchange program, which forms part of the Dine Out Vancouver festival held each January and February. The trade sales mission also visited Melbourne and Brisbane.
On hand to meet guests were Vancouver suppliers including Vancouver Foodie Tours, Grouse Mountain Resort, Discover Canada Tours, Pan Pacific Hotel, Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel, Vancouver Marriot Pinnacle Downtown Hotel, Destination British Columbia and Destination Canada.
“Australia is one of the most important international leisure markets for overnight visitation in Vancouver,” Destination Vancouver director of Market Development, Krista Alcazar, said.
“We wanted to put on this special event for our key clients in Sydney to celebrate our strong travel trade partnerships and meetings and conventions business. Vancouver and Sydney are also home to fast growing, multi-cultural, culinary scenes and this event was a great opportunity to bring some of our best chef talent together for a unique dining experience.”
Australian chef and culinary advisor Mark Best was joined by Vancouver chef Charlie Kunsang of Michelin-recommended, L’Abattoir Restaurant, as well as Australian chef Paul Farag of AALIA Restaurant who prepared dishes for the guests.
“The Vancouver/Sydney World Chef culinary exchange beautifully captures the spirit of collaboration and cultural connection through food,” Best said.
“Being hosted at L’Abattoir allowed me to experience the vibrant and innovative essence of Vancouver’s cuisine firsthand. Now, welcoming Charlie to Sydney as he represents Vancouver alongside me and chef Paul Farag at AALIA, we’re continuing the unique dialogue between two dynamic culinary cities. It’s not just about showcasing dishes-it’s about celebrating the shared creativity, identity and respect that drives our craft and brings people together.”
Chef Charlie Kunsang of L’Abattoir added: “Hosting Chef Best in our kitchen at L’Abattoir was such a great experience for our whole culinary team so having the opportunity to travel to Australia and represent not only L’Abattoir Restaurant, but Vancouver’s culinary scene is an incredible experience that I’m really looking forward to.”
Destination Vancouver will continue its Australia sales mission over the coming weeks with attendance at the Entire Travel Group agent roadshow, International Media Marketplace (IMM), and the Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME).
Featured image: Australian chefs Paul Farag and Mark Best with Vancouver chefs Charlie Kunsang and Andrew Chen, Sous Chef from L’Abattoir.
