The Government of Asturias is organising a training course this month to enhance the understanding of cider culture among tourism professionals, enabling them to share its significance with visitors to the region. Over 60 participants have signed up for the course, which seeks to capitalise on the visibility gained after the UNESCO designation of cider culture as a World Heritage.
Sessions will be led by Luis Benito García, director of the Cider Chair at the University of Oviedo. The first two sessions are scheduled for 9 and 16 November at Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura in Gijón, running from 18:00 to 20:00. The third session on 25 November will include a visit to the Cider Museum of Asturias in Nava and a nearby cider mill.
Participants will explore the history of cider and the traditions surrounding it, including local festivals, traditional consumption venues, and the espicha, a traditional cider tasting event. The programme will also cover the representation of cider in literature and the visual arts, its various types, the designation of origin, and the journey to the recognition of Asturian cider culture as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The aim is for tourism professionals to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural, historical, and social dimensions of cider, allowing them to effectively communicate its significance to visitors. This initiative is part of the efforts by the Vice-Ministry of Tourism, through the Public Society for the Management and Promotion of Tourism and Culture in the Principality, to promote cider as a tourist product.
This year, the Government of Asturias has allocated nearly €1.2 million to the cider culture plan, which includes promotional activities, cider routes, the digitalisation of tourism resources, and the production of a documentary set to be released soon. The plan aims to raise awareness of this cultural heritage both within and outside Asturias, attract visitors, and generate activity around this cherished tradition.
