KölnTourist goes on a "culinary world tour" with its guests
For its 30th anniversary, KölnTourist Personenschiffahrt has come up with something very special. Anyone who may not be able to travel this year, but would still like to get a whiff of the big wide world, can indulge in delicious specialties from Greece, Spain and the USA for an evening on board the MS RheinCargo. The event series "Culinary World Tour" offers not only country-specific buffets, but also country-specific drinks, and of course the right music to celebrate and dance to.
For years now, KölnTourist's barbecue parties have been an integral part of the summer program. "For us, a high-quality culinary offering made from healthy and valuable ingredients on board our ships is a matter close to our hearts," emphasizes KölnTourist Managing Director Angelika Schmitz. "Of course, this also includes a special variety that you might not immediately expect on a Rhine ship, and of course vegetarian dishes, which is particularly important to me as a vegetarian." The idea of going on a "culinary world tour" arose from several factors that came together happily almost simultaneously.
A trainee project and a chance encounter
The initial spark was the desire to organize more than just simple barbecue parties on the Rhine. The event series was born when Tobias Nahrendorf, an event management trainee at KölnTourist, developed this original idea into a comprehensive concept that included not only food and drinks typical of the country, but also suitable decorations, musical entertainment and marketing measures. In 2022, the idea was successfully tested with an American BBQ on two dates.
At the same time as this training project, there was a chance encounter that has led to a successful business relationship. Angelika Schmitz tells us about the beginnings of the project: "When I met the grill master Tim Klagges and the chef Tobias Peter by chance last year, I had exactly the right partners on hand with the two of them to implement such a project. In the meantime, they have founded their own catering company and are now actively supporting us in bringing further culinary world tours to life." This company, RheinKulinarik from Sankt Augustin, now supplies the KölnTourist ships with the recipes and dishes that make for exceptional evenings on the Rhine. Since grilling is the ultimate passion for Tim Klagges, it was natural to continue the American BBQ in the anniversary year. The now already fourth date is scheduled for 19.08.2023.
Off to Spain and Greece
Tobias Nahrendorf, who successfully completed his training in June 2023 and now continues to support the KölnTourist team in organization and implementation on board, explains: "I have Spanish roots on my mother's side, so of course a Spanish evening was an obvious choice from the outset, after all I know from my family exactly what it's all about. Together with his father Christian, he developed the concept: "We both learned to cook paella from my grandfather in Spain and have also collected many recipes from our family over the years. We shared these with Tim and then planned and cooked the buffet together."
All good things come in threes: The idea for the third "culinary world tour" came from Tim Klagges. "I know from experience that Greek dishes are particularly popular in summer," explains the grill master. "The pleasure world of the Aegean is known for its diverse and healthy cuisine and corresponds exactly to our claim as a caterer to create delicious dishes from high-quality ingredients. There is sure to be one or two culinary surprises to discover in the process." Interested guests can go on 22.07. and 02.09.2023 with "Kalispéra Greece" on a further unusual pleasure journey.
The second stage of the "Culinary World Trip" under the title "¡Viva España!" could implement the Nahrendorfs with the KölnTourist team and the professionals of the RheinKulinarik thus in this year, the premiere on 17.06.2023 met with enthusiastic guests. The second date on 16.09.2023 is also already firmly scheduled.
Other countries are also to be visited in the future. "We have already thought about a culinary world tour to the Asian region, to Italy or to our neighboring country France," explains Angelika Schmitz. "Where it will go next, however, has not yet been decided exactly. In any case, the success of the series speaks for itself and we will certainly continue the world tour with further stages."
KölnTourist offers boat trips and boat charters at the most important junctions on the Rhine in the Cologne/Bonn area, unforgettable and exclusive variety of experiences for a real change of perspective, plenty of deceleration and lots of good humor on one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe. A personal and individual service, delicious food from selected partners and a very good price/performance ratio round off the offer.
KölnTourist is a privately run shipping company with decades of tradition and shipping expertise. The fleet is technically up to date, because the safety of the passengers is always in the center of attention. The interior of the fleet is always well maintained. With an eye on the environment and future generations, the company embarked on a journey to greater sustainability in passenger shipping some time ago. KölnTourist sees itself as a true friend and partner to its guests and lives cosmopolitanism. The employees are authentic and love what they do - with regard to their fleet, their offers, their guests and the team.