{"id":97192483,"date":"2017-11-02T20:08:54","date_gmt":"2017-11-02T20:08:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/?p=97192483"},"modified":"2022-09-27T01:53:46","modified_gmt":"2022-09-27T01:53:46","slug":"food-tourism-hottest-new-trend-culinary-experiences-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/food-tourism-hottest-new-trend-culinary-experiences-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"Culinary Experiences + Travel = the Hottest, New Trend: Food Tourism"},"content":{"rendered":"

Contrary to what fitness gurus may tell you, food isn\u2019t just fuel. It\u2019s an art form, a cultural keystone and the key part of a fad that\u2019s helping transform the travel industry. Trying local foods has always been a part of travel. But the concept of going to a place solely to take part in culinary experiences is a breaking consumer trend. It\u2019s called \u201cFood Tourism,\u201d and it\u2019s changing the way we travel.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFood tourism\u201d\u00a0\u00a0is a new term that\u2019s emerged in the travel industry over the past couple years. It was coined by the\u00a0<\/span>World Food Travel Association<\/span><\/a> (WFTA), a non-profit organization dedicated to researching and promoting the economics of \u201cwhere food and beverage meet travel and hospitality.\u201d The <\/span>WFTA defines food tourism<\/span><\/a> as \u201cthe pursuit and enjoyment of unique and memorable food and drink experiences, both near and far.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Food Tourism<\/strong>\u00a0(food too r-iz-uh m)\u00a0noun;\u00a0<\/em>The pursuit and enjoyment of unique and memorable food and drink experiences, both near and far.<\/h2>\n

But for food or culinary tourists, it\u2019s about more than just eating at local restaurants. According to the WFTA, 93% of travelers have reported participating in a food or beverage experience <\/span>other than dining out<\/span><\/i>. Such non-dining, culinary encounters include guided food tours, cooking classes, excursions to local grocery stores, and more. And\u00a0<\/span>59% of travelers<\/span><\/a> say that food and beverage experiences are more important when they travel now than they were 5 years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why the sudden interest in food and travel? Well, maybe because Millennials (who are increasingly becoming one of the biggest traveler demographics<\/span><\/a>) are into it. A lot.<\/span><\/p>\n

A <\/span>2016 survey by TopDeck Travel<\/span><\/a> revealed that 69% of millennials were motivated to travel out of a desire to eat local foods. More specifically, 98% said that \u201ceating local cuisine\u201d is very important when traveling — and 37% of them avoid junk food when traveling. When ranking what is important to them, food came ahead of partying (44%) and shopping (28%). And the WFTA says that <\/span>52%<\/span><\/a> of Millennials consider themselves culinary tourists compared to 42% of Boomers.<\/span><\/p>\n

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]69% of millennials [said they] were motivated to travel out of a desire to eat local foods…98% said that \u201ceating local cuisine\u201d is very important when traveling [\/perfectpullquote]<\/p>\n

The Millennial-food tourism connection can also be attributed to the influx of travel apps that revolve around food. One such app <\/span>VizEat<\/span><\/a>, which has <\/span>been called <\/span>\u201cthe Airbnb of local dining,\u201d<\/span><\/a> connects travelers with locals hosting culinary experiences — including cooking classes, dinner parties, food tours, etc. Travelers can learn to make crepes in Paris, dine on a rooftop in Dubai, or take a pasta tour in Rome. Like Airbnb, dinner rate hosts, so users can know what they\u2019re getting into before you book. Other popular food tourism apps include <\/span>Feastly<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Foodspotting<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Roaming Hunger<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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“Matcha truffle mochi” is just the beginning. Get off-the-beaten-path on your next trip to London, and join host Konrad for the creative Japanese plates you haven’t tried yet. Check out his full menu in the link in bio, and browse @eatwith for a little extra dose of Wednesday UK wanderlust. ✨<\/a><\/p>\n

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