Can the Worlds Best Chef Save Spanish Tourism?
Chef Ferrán Adrià, the innovative visionary behind the strange and wondrous cuisine of El Bulli, a restaurant widely reputed to offer one of the most amazing dining experiences in the world, has a new job. The chef has been charged with helping draw tourists to Spain. Tourism is a big part of Spain’s economy but like other destinations it has seen visitor numbers decline. So the tourism industry is calling out the big guns. Adria will team up with the Esade Business School in Barcelona and La Caixa, the savings bank, to head the Tourism Management and Gastronomy School. Adrià will give classes one week each year teaching innovation and creativity to hospitality business owners. The London TImes reports that Adrià has met José Luis Rodríguez, the Spanish Prime Minister, to ask for €14 million to back the project which should begin next year.
