Quanzhou’s bid for inclusion in the UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy network represents a key decision by the municipal government regarding urban industrial restructuring and international development. Through this application, the city aims to harness gastronomy to enhance cultural exchange, promote local ingredients, foster talent development, stimulate the consumer market, create jobs, and implement nationwide food education. These initiatives are designed to continuously improve the public’s sense of well-being and happiness, cultivating a positive atmosphere of “food for the people, food benefiting the people, and food enriching the people.” By aligning with UNESCO’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, gastronomy is positioned as a tool to advance employment for women and vulnerable groups, promote the harmonious development of natural resources and the ecological environment, address issues of poverty and food security, reduce social inequality, and support sustainable, high-quality urban economic, social, and cultural growth through cross-sector integration under the “Food+” model.

　　This initiative also fosters industrial development and bolsters the cultural and tourism economy. It focuses on leveraging the strategic role of the foodservice industry as a vital link in the food industry’s value chain. The city has hosted 17 editions of the Cross-Strait (Quanzhou) Agricultural Product Fair and 11 editions of the Cross-Strait Food Expo, with a total exhibition area of 96,000 square metres and transaction volumes exceeding 20 billion RMB in 2024 alone. On 27 September 2019, Quanzhou successfully introduced China’s first market procurement policy for exported pre-packaged foods, with the first successful customs clearance occurring on 15 November, creating a “sunshine channel” for the export of high-quality food products.

　　The city has also implemented the High-Quality Development Plan for Quanzhou’s Food and Beverage Industry (2022-2025), aiming for a total output value of over 200 billion RMB by 2025, with 350 large-scale food production and processing enterprises. Five major industrial clusters, including snack foods, tea, seafood, grains and oils, and meat products, are each projected to surpass 100 billion RMB in value.

　　Moreover, several measures have been introduced to accelerate the growth of Quanzhou’s pre-prepared food industry, including the establishment of industrial parks in Nan’an Guanjiao, Hongmei, Shishi Baogai, and Anxi Lantian. Financial incentives and support for digital upgrades, technological innovation, brand development, e-commerce platforms, standard formulation, R&D centres, and cold-chain logistics are also in place. By 2025, the annual output value of the pre-prepared food industry chain is expected to exceed 30 billion RMB.

　　Quanzhou is also enhancing the global appeal of its culinary heritage by promoting both the UNESCO “City of Gastronomy” and “World Heritage City” brands, with a focus on attracting tourists to visit, stay, and spend. The city was recognised as one of the Top 10 Gastronomy Cities in China 2023 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, with tourism revenues in 2023 reaching 100.24 billion RMB (a 68.9% increase) and 86.53 million visitors (a 53.9% increase).