{"id":10829,"date":"2025-08-07T22:19:56","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T14:19:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/?p=10829"},"modified":"2025-08-07T22:19:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T14:19:59","slug":"7th-world-top-gourmet-awards-2025-officially-launched","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/?p=10829","title":{"rendered":"7th World Top Gourmet Awards 2025 Officially Launched"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The internationally recognized World Top Gourmet Awards (WTGA)<\/strong> is proud to announce the return of its 7th edition today at a press conference held at Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur<\/strong> <\/strong>with major new highlights that mark a bold step forward for global culinary recognition. This year, the WTGA will debut a brand-new trophy design<\/strong> and, for the first time<\/strong>, be hosted in the vibrant culinary capital of Guangzhou, China<\/strong>\u2014a city renowned for its deep-rooted food heritage and international gastronomic appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The press conference was graced by Guest of Honour<\/strong>, Datuk Manoharan Periasamy<\/strong>, Director General of Tourism Malaysia<\/strong>, and Chef of Honour<\/strong>, the legendary Adjunct Prof.<\/strong> Datuk Chef Wan<\/strong>, who jointly unveiled the official plans for WTGA 2025 \u2014 an event that aims to elevate cross-border collaboration in the food, hospitality, and tourism sectors, while supporting Malaysia\u2019s flagship tourism campaign: Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Guangzhou to Host World-Class Culinary Celebration<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

WTGA 2025 will be held at the luxurious Shangri-La Guangzhou<\/strong>, one of China’s most dynamic culinary destinations. The one-day programme will feature a World Gourmet<\/strong> Exchange Summit<\/strong> in the morning, followed by the prestigious Gala Awards Ceremony Dinner<\/strong> in the evening. The event is expected to attract over 80<\/strong>0 guests<\/strong> from across Asia and beyond where M<\/strong>aster<\/strong> chefs, government officials,<\/strong> restaurateurs, <\/strong>hospitality leaders, media<\/strong>, and industry influencers<\/strong> will gather for id<\/strong>ea exchange, industry networking, and celebration of gastronomic excellence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Strengthening Cross-Cultural Ties Through Gastronomy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The theme of this year\u2019s awards emphasizes cross-border collaboration through <\/strong>gastronomy<\/strong>, celebrating the unifying power of food in bridging cultures and strengthening international relationships. As a strategic move to expand WTGA\u2019s impact beyond Malaysian borders, hosting the event in Guangzhou<\/strong> demonstrates a strong commitment to fostering dialogue between China, Malaysia<\/strong>, and the broader Asian and global culinary community<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking on the expansion, Dr. Peggy Chong<\/strong>, Founder and President of the World Top Gourmet Awards, said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFood is a language that transcends borders. By hosting the World Top Gourmet Awards in Guangzhou, we\u2019re not only recognizing excellence but also deepening the cultural and culinary ties between China and Malaysia. This year\u2019s awards support our long-term vision of using gastronomy as a platform for cultural diplomacy, tourism promotion<\/strong>, and economic cooperation<\/strong>.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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I<\/strong>n Support of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 \u2013 A <\/strong>Gastronomy<\/strong> Gateway to Malaysia<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

WTGA 2025 is proud to support in direct alignment with the Visit Malaysia Year 2026<\/strong> campaign \u2014 a national initiative to attract over 35.6<\/strong> million international tourists<\/strong> and generate RM<\/strong>147.1<\/strong> billion<\/strong> in tourism receipts through cultural, eco, and culinary tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the press conference, Datuk Manoharan Periasamy<\/strong>, Director General of Tourism Malaysia, highlighted the importance of culinary events like WTGA in positioning Malaysia as a food tourism destination:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFood is Malaysia\u2019s soft power. Through initiatives like the World Top Gourmet Awards, we showcase not just our cuisine, but the warm, multicultural spirit of Malaysia. As we look forward to Visit Malaysia Year 2026, we welcome more collaborations like this that elevate Malaysia on the world stage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Tourists Enhances Travel Access<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A key highlight of the campaign is that Chinese travellers can now enter Malaysia without a visa<\/strong>, further enhancing travel convenience. In 2019<\/strong>, over 3.1<\/strong> <\/strong>million Chinese tourists<\/strong> visited Malaysia. By mid-2025<\/strong>, more than 1.65 million Chinese arrivals<\/strong> have already been recorded \u2014 signalling strong recovery and renewed interest in Malaysia as a travel destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visa-free policy is expected to significantly boost arrivals in 2026, particularly among Chinese food and culture enthusiasts exploring Malaysia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Unveiling of the New Trophy Design<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This year also marks the official unveiling of the newly designed WTGA trophy<\/strong> \u2014 a sleek, contemporary symbol of innovation, craftsmanship, and international prestige. The new design reflects not only culinary excellence but also resilience and creativity, honouring individuals and organizations who raise the standards of the F&B and tourism sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

World Gourmet Ambassador 2025: Master Chef Justin Hor<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Also announced was the appointment of Master Chef Justin Hor<\/strong> as the official World Gourmet Ambassador 2025<\/strong>. Known for his mastery in Malaysian-Chinese cuisine and commitment to culinary excellence, Master Chef Hor will lead outreach and culinary diplomacy initiatives in conjunction with WTGA and Tourism Malaysia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Event Highlights \u2013 Save the Date<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

20 November 2025<\/strong> \u2013 WTGA Main Event, Shangri-La Guangzhou
Morning:<\/em> World Gourmet Exchange Summit
Evening:<\/em> World Top Gourmet Awards Gala Dinner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The internationally recognized World Top Gourmet Awards (WTGA) is proud to announce the return of its 7th edition today at a press conference held at Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur with major new highlights that mark a bold step forward for global culinary recognition. This year, the WTGA will debut a brand-new trophy design and, for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10830,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[596,3304],"tags":[3305,3308],"class_list":["post-10829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-beverage","category-world-top-gourmet-awards","tag-7th-world-top-gourmet-awards-2025","tag-be-hosted-in-the-vibrant-culinary-capital-of-guangzhou-china"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/528544853_1322151623235294_7300074050793370607_n.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10829"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10831,"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10829\/revisions\/10831"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klhappenings.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}