Florianópolis was recognized by UNESCO as Creative City of Gastronomy, officially joining the Global Creative Cities Network — a title that belongs not only to the capital, but to the entire group of municipalities that make up the metropolitan region.
This recognition reflects a territory where food is culture, identity, and innovation. From mariculture to olive oil production, encompassing signature cuisine, cafes, and unique experiences on the island, the title represents the collective strength of regional gastronomy that connects countryside, sea, and city in a single narrative.
To strengthen this brand, the Girus Tourism Solutions It has been active in validating, qualifying, and promoting gastronomic experiences that represent the diversity of Greater Florianópolis, ensuring that each experience is prepared to receive tourists and contribute to the sustainable development of the creative territory.
Governance and institutional strengthening
The project is coordinated by the Floripa Tomorrow Institute, the entity responsible for brand management Florianópolis, UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, and has the support of City Hall of Florianópolis, through a specific budget allocation for strengthening the title.
This institutional structure guarantees that continuity and sustainability of actions, This allows for technical visits, promotional campaigns, training, and constant updates on the region's gastronomic experiences.
With technical support from Girus Tourism Solutions, As a result, the initiatives began to adopt a more integrated approach, encompassing not only projects in the capital but also those in other regions. municipalities of Greater Florianópolis, who share traditions, ingredients and ways of doing things.
Girus' role in strengthening the Creative City
Girus coordinates and executes technical work that goes far beyond promotion: it carries out on-site visits, Infrastructure analysis, monitoring of hospitality practices, collection of information on production processes, and recommendations for adjustments to ensure that experiences reach standards of excellence in visitor service.
Each visit focuses on ensuring that the experiences are aligned with the values that guide the UNESCO designation — sustainability, cultural identity, innovation, inclusion, and promotion of local products.
This work is carried out throughout the Greater Florianópolis region, strengthening the sense of belonging among neighboring municipalities and demonstrating that the seal is a shared achievement between cities that together build a territorial brand based on gastronomy and creativity.
Experiences that have already been visited, validated, and included on the official website.
Based on technical visits conducted by Girus, several experiences were evaluated, adjusted, and integrated into the project's official portal., cidadecriativa.floripa.br
Each one expresses a facet of the rich gastronomy of Greater Florianópolis — uniting producers, chefs, entrepreneurs, and local communities:
- AYO Kombucha Experience
An immersion into the flavors and benefits of artisanal kombucha, highlighting the innovation and potential of fermented beverages in the region's creative scene.
- Coffee with Seaweed – A Unique Experience with the Seaweed of Florianópolis
An experience that combines science, sustainability, and flavor, introducing visitors to the world of algae farming and its role in contemporary nutrition.
- Chef at Home with Narbal Correa
A sensory and original experience led by one of the most emblematic names in Santa Catarina's gastronomy, highlighting local ingredients and stories of flavor.
- Paradise Experience – Mariculture and Gastronomy
An experience that reveals the tradition of mariculture and the oyster farming process, combining traditional knowledge and tastings by the sea.
- Vienzo Experience: The Art of Olive Oil from Santa Catarina
In Rancho Queimado, this experience guides visitors through the artisanal production of extra virgin olive oils, highlighting the leading role of rural producers in the Greater Florianópolis area.
- Trust Menu
An exclusive gastronomic experience that values trust in the chef and the use of local ingredients, transforming each dish into a creative surprise.
- Guided Tour of the Marine Farm
An educational immersion into the world of sustainable mariculture, where visitors learn about mollusk farming and the environmental importance of this practice.
- Guided tour of the Emperor's Sugar Mill.
A visit to Cachaça do Imperador offers an immersion into the tradition of artisanal cachaça, with a guided tour, tasting, and direct contact with the producer.
- Visit to mead production and tasting in Florianópolis.
A visit to Nectar Hidromel reveals the secrets of the "Nectar of the Gods" in an experience that combines history, artisanal production, and tasting of exclusive labels of this ancient beverage.
Digital platform: a showcase for creative gastronomy.
As part of the project, Girus also developed the official website cidadecriativa.floripa.br, which serves as a platform for dissemination, promotion, and regional integration.
The portal brings together gastronomic experiences, local producers, chefs, recipes, events, and news, allowing residents and tourists to discover the most authentic and flavorful aspects of Greater Florianópolis.
Since its launch, the site has been showing impressive results:
- Over 4,050 impressions and 89 direct clicks on searches related to creative gastronomy (September 2025).
- First place on Google for the search term "creative city gastronomy".
- Over 700 clicks on the Agenda tab, highlighting the Santo Amaro da Imperatriz Corn Festival, one of the most accessed gastronomic events (September 2025).
These numbers reflect the digital impact of the initiative and demonstrate the growing public interest in authentic and sustainable experiences in Greater Florianópolis.
Regional integration and strengthening of creative tourism.
More than promoting isolated experiences, the Florianópolis UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy project seeks to build an integrated network of entrepreneurs, producers, and professionals who represent the strength of regional gastronomy.
Girus works to ensure that the UNESCO seal becomes a tool for collective development, connecting cities such as Antônio Carlos, Palhoça, Paulo Lopes, Rancho Queimado, Santo Amaro da Imperatriz, São Pedro de Alcântara, among others, which together form a diverse and complementary gastronomic territory.
Each validated experience expands the project's reach and strengthens the concept that creativity and flavor are shared assets throughout Greater Florianópolis.
Conclusion: a territory of flavor, culture, and sustainability.
Strengthening the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy designation represents much more than international recognition—it is a strategy for sustainable development and territorial integration.
Through a partnership between the Floripa Amanhã Institute, the Municipality of Florianópolis, and Girus Soluções em Turismo, the project has consolidated a governance model that values local knowledge, promotes the enhancement of experiences, and projects the region onto the global stage of creative gastronomy.
The UNESCO brand is today a symbol of identity, pride, and innovation for the entire Greater Florianópolis area, demonstrating that tourism and gastronomy, when well-planned, are powerful instruments of transformation.