During the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference being held in Uzbekistan, Lucknow was officially declared as UNESCO’s “Creative City of Gastronomy.” With this announcement, Lucknow became the second Indian city after Hyderabad to win this title.
- During the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference being held in Uzbekistan, Lucknow was officially declared as UNESCO’s “Creative City of Gastronomy.” With this announcement, Lucknow joined 70 gastronomy cities around the world and became the second Indian city after Hyderabad to win this title.
- The 42nd UNESCO General Conference was held from November 7 to 22, 2023, at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
Nine Indian cities in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network
- Now nine Indian cities have joined this network. In 2023, Kozhikode (Literature) and Gwalior (Music) were added to the list.
- Other Indian cities included in the UCCN are Jaipur: Crafts and Folk Art (2015), Varanasi: Creative City of Music (2015), Chennai: Creative City of Music (2017), Mumbai: Film (2019), Hyderabad: Gastronomy (2019), and Srinagar: Crafts and Folk Art (2021).
Lucknow city
- The State Directorate of Tourism submitted Lucknow’s nomination to the Ministry of Culture on January 31, 2025, and the Government of India selected the city as the country’s official entry on March 3, 2025.
- This global recognition honors the city’s centuries-old Awadhi cuisine, vibrant food traditions, and inclusive cultural heritage. The Uttar Pradesh government said that this moment is a milestone for the state, which has placed it among the world’s top culinary destinations.
- From delicious Galouti Kebabs to Awadhi Biryani, tasty chaat and golgappas, sweets like Makhan Malai, and much more – Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh is a paradise of food, enriched with centuries-old traditions.
- “In 2024, about 82,74,154 tourists (domestic and foreign) visited Lucknow, while in the first half of 2025 alone, more than 70,20,492 tourists arrived, showing how food and culture are driving tourism growth.”
About UCCN
- It was established in 2004 to strengthen cooperation among cities that recognize creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable development.
- It includes seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Music, and Media Arts.
- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in the fields of education, science, and culture.
- Its headquarters is in Paris, and it has 194 member countries and 12 associate members.
- History: UNESCO was founded on November 16, 1945, and the first session of the UNESCO General Conference was held in Paris during November–December 1946.
- India is a founding member of this organization.
