BBVA and Joan Roca discuss their social-gastronomic tour at the World Economic Forum in Dubai

MADRID, Nov. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- BBVA and Joan Roca, head chef of El Celler de Can Roca, took part yesterday at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Dubai, where 1,000 experts from 80 different disciplines gathered. Roca, whose restaurant landed atop the World's 50 Best Restaurants list last year, participated in a panel on the "Creative Economy," explaining how cuisine is being transformed through innovation and internationalization.

Joan Roca also presented the results of the social-gastronomic project "The Cooking Tour Experience" (www.bbvacellertour.com), the BBVA-sponsored tour that kicked off over the summer and has become a milestone in the history of gastronomy and in training the next generation of chefs. The tour visited six cities in four countries to prepare around 49,000 dishes of 56 different varieties, all of them adapted to the local gastronomies, with the aim of paying tribute to Texan, Mexican, Colombian and Peruvian cuisine.

"It's great being able to explain the history and the model of El Celler de Can Roca before an audience of such relevant experts," said Joan Roca. "I hope that our experience will serve as an example of how creativity can be applied to make a positive impact in places like Texas, Mexico, Colombia and Peru. Gastronomy can become a bridge between different cultures and a vehicle for social inclusion."

During the tour, the Roca brothers also trained more than 7,000 catering students and awarded 12 of them grants to work as trainees in Girona, Spain, at El Celler de Can Roca, which is considered a revolutionary entry in the history of high-end restaurants.

According to BBVA's Head of Communication & Brand, Ignacio Moliner, "Joan Roca and El Celler de Can Roca symbolize perfectly the vision we have at BBVA, where technology, innovation and internationalization are changing the world and helping us achieve a better future for people."

After the World Economic Forum, BBVA and Joan Roca took part in various meetings with business leaders, the media, local authorities and opinion leaders to analyze the growing importance of gastronomy in the internationalization of the Spain "brand," as well as the maturity of the country's culinary sector, which is already well established worldwide. The meeting was organized and hosted by the Spanish Embassy in the United Arab Emirates.

About BBVA
BBVA is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a solid position in Spain, it is the largest financial institution in Mexico and it has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States. Its diversified business is biased to high-growth markets and it relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies the best practices. The Group is present in the main sustainability indexes.

SOURCE BBVA