Italian cuisine becomes world’s first to get UNESCO recognition

Italy’s beloved food culture becomes the world’s first cuisine to earn UNESCO heritage status, inviting travellers to explore its traditions through every meal.

Italian cuisine has just made history. In a landmark move, UNESCO has officially inscribed Italy’s culinary tradition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, making it the first national cuisine in the world to earn this honour. And for travellers, this recognition does more than validate your obsession with pasta, pizza, or that dream of cooking with a Tuscan nonna—it transforms Italy itself into a living, breathing culinary museum.

Many travellers may joke that “Italy is always a good idea,” but now there’s cultural authority to back it up.

Unlike previous listings that celebrated individual dishes—like Thailand’s tom yum kung or Peru’s ceviche traditions—UNESCO’s acknowledgement of Italy’s entire cuisine is unprecedented.

Instead of spotlighting specific foods such as sfogliatelle, agnolotti, or Chianti Classico, UNESCO praised the human, communal, and artisanal spirit that defines Italian cooking. The listing highlights:

• Generational knowledge passed down in homes.
• Respect for seasonal, local ingredients.
• Community rituals, from Sunday lunches to village harvests.
• Shared moments around the table that bind families and communities.

In essence, Italy's dining table itself is now considered a cultural treasure.

This is not about ticking off monuments; it’s about experiencing Italy through its food rituals. And 2025 travel trends suggest that experiential tourism is at its peak.

With this designation, travellers are encouraged to:

• Join family-style Sunday lunches and experience the warmth of Italian hospitality.
• Learn pasta-making from local chefs in Bologna or Florence.
• Wander through vibrant markets in Naples, Rome, or Palermo.
• Take part in wine and olive-oil harvest festivals in Tuscany.
• Visit artisanal producers from Piedmont’s boutique vineyards to Sardinia’s cheesemakers.

Italy’s tourism authorities describe this recognition as an open invitation: come sit at our table and taste our stories.

Italian cuisine isn’t just about recipes—it is a living tradition shaped by landscapes, from the rice fields of the north to the olive groves of the south. UNESCO recognises Italian cooking as a gesture of care, a form of storytelling, and a daily practice of community and identity, where food becomes a powerful expression of culture and connection.

Officials say the listing places Italy’s food culture on the same pedestal as its architecture, art, and music—from opera singing to the famed pizzaiuolo tradition of Naples.

And for travellers, this means deeper, more meaningful encounters with local people and their heritage.

Italy’s Ministry of Tourism estimates that UNESCO recognition could boost tourist numbers by up to 8% within two years, adding millions of overnight stays across both cities and rural regions. This surge is expected to support small family-run eateries, strengthen local farms and artisanal producers, uplift rural tourism circuits, and increase demand for culinary workshops and food trails—benefiting communities while enriching the travel experience for visitors.

Cooking classes in Tuscany, balsamic vinegar tours in Modena, cheese-making in Parma, and food markets in Sicily now carry the weight of UNESCO prestige.

More importantly, travellers will discover stories that stay with them—not just flavours. From a grandmother sharing her secret ragù recipe to a vintner explaining how harvest seasons shape village life, it’s these personal connections that make Italy unforgettable.

As 2025 comes into focus, Italy’s new status marks a turning point in global travel. It encourages visitors to engage with the country not through postcards and monuments alone, but through every bite, market aisle, kitchen table, and communal feast.

Italy isn’t just a place to visit—it’s a place to taste, learn, and belong.

With UNESCO putting Italian cuisine on the world stage, there has never been a better time to plan a trip that blends flavour, culture, and tradition in the most authentic way.

Other cultural elements added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list for 2025 include Iceland’s swimming pool culture, Ghana’s highlife music and dance, India’s Diwali festival, and Chile’s family circus traditions. UNESCO’s complete list features several new additions from around the world. See complete list here.