Complete Guide to Culinary Tourism: Trends, Destinations & Business Opportunities

Culinary tourism may seem like a new trend, but in most travel communities, it has always existed as a source of joy and comfort. People have been traveling around the globe for centuries, bringing back tales of amazing drinks they’ve tried or dishes they’ve tasted. The only ‘trendy’ thing about culinary tourism right now, is that it’s finally being talked about, and getting the love it has always deserved!

For the hospitality industry, the culinary tourism trend is worth the indulgence. It can open up possible opportunities that haven’t yet been explored. When it comes to growth - the global food tourism industry was valued at USD 1.54 Billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to USD 4.12 Billion by 2029, with an average growth rate of 17.82% CAGR. So if you haven’t taken culinary tourism as seriously, maybe it’s time to rethink.

In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about culinary tourism: from what it is to who it entices, its importance, types, best food tourism destinations and festivals, and more. So keep reading!

What is Culinary Tourism?

Also known as food tourism, a culinary travel experience is designed to help travelers immerse themselves in a destination, culture, or community via their taste buds. The idea behind this is simple - to truly understand a place, you must try its authentic dishes.

And often, it’s not limited to eating what’s on offer, but learning about the history of the palate, the ingredients used, and the tales that accompany each item. Some travelers even go so far as to learn to cook certain dishes to truly appreciate the cultural significance.

Travelers are now drawn towards experiences:

• Farm-to-table dining
• Food festivals
• Brewery tours
• Cooking classes
• Chef-created menus
• Dining with locals
• Food field trips
• Alfresco dining
• Agri-tourism
• Local food experiences
• Street food tourism
• Food workshops
• And more.

Why Are Authentic Culinary Experiences Important in Hospitality?

The importance of culinary tourism cannot be overstated. The trend has been growing exponentially, and more and more travelers indulge in foodie experiences when they’re out and about. In fact, as per a report published by the World Food Travel Association, 93% of leisure travelers took part in a food or beverage activity while traveling. That means, almost everyone is interested in a bite, just to understand what the food culture of the place is all about.

Instragammable food is another growing trend pushed forth by the rise of social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and more. The Gen Z food tourism space is one filled with pictures of dishes from different parts of the world. While foodie millennials have dominated this trend, Gen Z is taking it a step further - looking for sustainable and culturally relevant food experiences that help them understand and appreciate the world around them.

For hospitality businesses, all this is huge! Always looking to offer something unique to customers, people in the hotel industry can take a cue from this and provide any of the different types of culinary tourism options available. That way, they can tap into the lucrativeness of the food tourism market size.

Culinary Tourism Trends

Now that you’re aware of the growing popularity of foodie experiences, here’s taking a look at culinary trends that have been dominating the food and beverage travel market for quite some time now, and are expected to increase overall culinary tourism statistics.

Street Food Tours

These types of culinary tours are quite popular because they take travelers through a journey of local eateries and markets. They’re able to experience the rich taste of the city first-hand and learn about the unique stories and significance of the flavors being served.

Cooking Classes

Hands-on cooking classes give travelers the opportunity to learn new skills and get an immersive experience of the culture. These classes often tend to take place in local restaurants or private residential homes and are specific to a single cuisine, such as Italian, Indian, Mexican, Indonesian, etc.

Dining with Locals

This is an experience that’s often clubbed with a cooking class. Travelers who indulge in cooking classes, often get a chance to sit together with other fellow travelers and enjoy the meal they’ve cooked. Another culinary tourism trend is that travelers tend to visit homestays or private homes to enjoy a sustainable meal cooked by a local family. Some people even stay in homestays for a more authentic experience of the destination.

Health and Wellness Vacations

Foodie millennials and Gen Z foodies, along with other older generations are focusing a lot more on health than ever before. This has led to the rise of health and wellness retreats with farm-to-table cooking classes, juice retreats, vegan cooking classes, and other such culinary experiences.

Sustainable Food Tourism

This type of culinary tourism focuses on the importance of socially responsible and environmentally friendly food. Travelers who follow the trend prefer visiting restaurants and cafes that cook using seasonal ingredients that are sourced from a local market. They often even visit these areas to understand how the ingredients are harvested, transported, grown, and cooked.

Experimental Cocktails and Wine Tasting

All over the world, there are several festivals centered around beer, wine tasting, and brewing. Some people even prefer traveling to taste different tones of wine or stay around to explore vineyards. There are also some who like to indulge in cocktail-making experiences. So, if you have a liquor license at your property, you can offer any one of those experiences and tap into this popular culinary trend.

Chef-created Menus

Another culinary tourism trend is the ‘no-menu’ menu. It’s a deep dive into the thoughts and food world of the chef. Guests are often unaware of what they will be served - it all depends on what the chef cooks for them. As an experience, it’s quite fulfilling, because it allows one to relax and take their taste buds on an adventure curated by the chef.

Food Festivals

As mentioned earlier, food festivals are a thing! A lot of people around the world travel to attend different festivals centered around culinary dishes. These could be a lobster festival, a street food extravaganza, or a wine and food festival that happens around the world yearly. To get on the bandwagon, all you have to do is to offer cooking classes at your hotel and let the guests pour in.

Fusion Cuisine Classes

Continuing with the classes, there are many things that you can offer to your guests. For instance, when people travel to a place, they often try to get a culturally rich experience by learning how to cook from scratch. The teacher takes them shopping for ingredients, helps them plan the menu, create exotic items, and even dine together. It’s an age-old culinary tourism trend that won’t go away anytime soon.

Agri-tourism or Farm-to-Table

Sustainability is something that’s gaining traction around the world. This means culinary tourism has also evolved to support this idea. Many people prefer to dine in places that offer an authentic farm-to-table experience. Also called agri-tourism, this trend sees people dine outdoors with full knowledge of where the food has been grown and how sustainably it’s been cooked.

Top Destinations for Culinary Tourism

Gastro tourism isn’t a new thing. It has been here for a while and its market size is only about to increase. There are several places that travelers can head to, especially if they have an interest in understanding the culture of a city, via its food. Some of the most prominent sites include:

• Street food in Bangkok, Thailand
• Rainbow cuisine of Cape Town, South Africa
• Gourmet food in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Tapas of Madrid, Spain
• Moroccan cuisine in Marrakech, Morocco
• 400-year-old tea tradition experience in Kyoto, Japan
• The oldest vineyards in the world are in Adelaide, Australia
• Mouth watering bowls in hanoi, Vietnam
• Fine dining in Singapore

How Can Hoteliers Embrace Culinary Tourism?

Now that you’re aware of the prominence of culinary tourism, the last thing that remains is to use it to your advantage. Here’s how you can offer a little something extra to your foodie guests:

Design Different Culinary Experiences

First, think of the best way you can create a food tourism experience. Can you offer a cooking class, a wine tasting experience or a cocktail mixing class? Whatever the options that you have, get creative with your offerings.

Increase Guest Engagement

Make sure to inform guests staying with you of the culinary tourism options. Ensure that the timings of the class coincide with the time where your guests are in the hotel. You can also connect with a local vendor and arrange cooking classes for them outside, in case you don’t have the option to offer them the culinary experience they expect.

Market & Promote

Last, but not least, make sure that you promote your culinary experience to the right people at the right time. You can use email marketing to reach out to old guests or promote your offerings on social media channels to entice new guests. It’s all about standing apart from everyone by providing a service that you know would gain traction.

If you’re still wondering how to change the way you offer different experiences to guests, connect with a HotelMinder Expert for a consultation call.

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