Timisoara city's title as European Capital of Culture 2023 did not bring the prosperity expected by the local hospitality sector, and HoReCa businesses even experienced a downturn, says Corina Macri, president of the HORETIM Association. She believes the sector now hopes to recover through the project 'Banat - European Gastronomic Region 2028', promoted jointly by Timis County and Serbia's Vojvodina Province.

The initiative was highlighted during the first economic mission 'Business Bridges - developing hospitality in Banat', held at the Timis County Council (CJ Timis), aimed at strengthening cross-border cooperation in HoReCa and tourism. The project's candidacy file was evaluated and accepted by the Advisory Forum of the Institute of Gastronomy, Art, Culture and Tourism (IGCAT) in 2025. The next step will be the international jury's visit between April 13 - 17, 2026, after which the final decision will be announced.

Until then, Simona Neumann, director of the Timis County Tourism Promotion and Development Association (APDT) and former coordinator of Timisoara's 2023 cultural capital program, is mapping gastronomic destinations in Timis and Banat. She notes that, out of more than 600 local gastronomic points in Romania, Banat has only 22, a number she calls 'extremely small'.

Neumann explains that the jury will not only visit restaurants, but also farms, research centres, student canteens and places where partnerships with local producers can be observed. 'This title does not involve competition between regions; they are evaluated based on predefined criteria. We want to encourage local producers to open gastronomic points and connect them with major retail chains, so that stores buy directly from producers food branded 'from Banat',' she says.

The concept of a gastronomic region includes all elements of local traditional heritage. Banat's multiculturalism is reflected in its dialect, architecture and cuisine. 'We cannot say we have a strictly Romanian cuisine in Banat. We speak of a fusion of tastes - a Viennese schnitzel next to a Romanian soup and a Slovak dessert. It is the beauty of this place,' Neumann adds.

Simion Giurca, director of the Association for the Promotion of Timisoara and former head of Romania's tourism office in Vienna, stresses that gastronomy has become 'the new culture' in global tourism. 'About 60% of international travel today has cultural motivation. People are more aware of what they eat and want to discover new flavours. This behavior has made gastronomy a very important niche,' he says. He also notes that Timis already has successful examples such as Breakfast at Margina, and Dinner at Margina, and that the gastronomic region title is an opportunity to further promote the culinary identity of Banat region.

Giurca also points out that tourism performance is measured in overnight stays, and hotel operators report an increase in one-night stays by Serbian tourists in Timisoara. He believes the region must better promote underused attractions, including those linked to the Serbian community, such as the St. George Monastery in Birda or the Saraca Monastery, both with strong historical and cultural ties. He also highlights infrastructure challenges, especially poor rail connections, but notes that Timis has a higher share of Western tourists than the national average, with a roughly 50 - 50 ratio of Romanian and foreign visitors. 'Foreign tourists bring money created in another economy, which becomes almost entirely new value for Romania. We must better define and promote local products and support communities in less advantaged areas, where authentic gastronomy still exists,' he explains.

For HORETIM president Corina Macri, expanding the tourism offer is essential so that visitors stay longer in Timisoara and explore the wider region, including the Highland Banat. 'Foreigners are fascinated by the spa areas, entertainment, and everything related to our wine culture. If we create combined packages with everything we have in the region, we have strong attractions. Gastronomy must be a link between people; from there, they can visit museums, tourist sites, Faget Land, Charlottenburg,' she says. According to her, although utility and labor costs are rising, businesses cannot afford to increase prices.

Local stories are also part of the gastronomic region project, and one such example is 'Maria's Bakery', a small family business continuing a four-generation tradition of bread-making. Administrator Raluca Ardelean, a psychologist, recounts: 'The story begins with my husband's great-grandfather, who worked in baking in Cerneteaz. We are the fourth generation carrying this forward. We also have a mill, but local producers are fewer and wheat quantities are decreasing. We want to move toward eco products, because that is the trend. We try to preserve the traditional taste while adding new flavours.'

The bakery participates in fairs and exhibitions abroad, drawing inspiration especially from Italy. 'For Easter, we reinterpret the traditional pasca with a mix of Maramures and Italian influences. We make a braided dough in a round shape, which we call a wreath with candied orange. We teach people to make clean pastries at home: flour, water, milk, a little sugar, a little yeast, eggs. And while kneading the dough, we release stress and reach a state of well-being with the whole family,' Ardelean says. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Otilia Halunga; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)