Globalisation of food culture constitutes the primary threat to food tourism. An increasing number of travellers are open to the typical flavours and dishes of the region; the global growth of international food chains can pose a threat to culinary diversity in the world: yet another way in which food tourism can have a positive contribution. If travellers are attracted by a unique food culture, the region’s locals benefit.
A lot of future growth is expected in food tourism. Trends in holiday behaviour point in that direction. Western consumers often take shorter holidays. They tend to choose for far destinations more often and are seeking increasing degrees of luxury. Off-the-beaten-track travel is gaining popularity. And experts anticipate an increased demand for meaningful travels: a trip isn’t just for pleasure but also facilitates personal growth. An answer to these up-and-coming developments is local, personal and meaningful food experiences.
A shift in culinary destinations among the international foodie community is observed. For a long time, Spain was one of the favourite destinations. El Bulli – named best restaurant in the world several times over – made for a huge magnet for a large stream of foodies visiting Spain at the beginning of this century.
The next food destination was Copenhagen with the Nordic Cuisine. The legendary restaurant Noma became the centre of this new culinary movement. In the slipstream of Noma, several young chefs opened exciting restaurants throughout the city. Copenhagen transformed from a culinary wasteland into foodie heaven. Nowadays, the city attracts tens of thousands of food travellers each year.
Peru is another appealing food destination. Restaurants such as Astrid y Gaston, Central and Maido are all prominent members of the world’s best restaurant top 50. The country offers a wealth of quality products and hosts the largest food festival in the world: Mistura. Japan, Italy and France are more traditional food destinations.

4,72
4,49
4,62
4,31
3,21
3,41
3,18
3,51
Performance
Generating positive economic impact to an area through food and drink experiences
Using food and drink to provide a sense of local pride to residents
Protecting local heritage through food and drink
Using food or drink to promote the image of a destination
Importance
Importance-performance analysis identifies the gaps between how important each goal is, and how well each is being achieved. A larger gap between importance and performance indicates where our experts indentified room for improvement.
Source: World Food Travel Association
Locals are experiencing little benefits from food tourism. Plenty of room for improvement.
Source: World Food Travel Association
4,64
4,41
4,41
4,23
3,33
3,46
3,13
3,13
Performance
Providing an authentic experience to visitors
Providing sustainable experiences to visitors
Providing unique or innovative experiences to visitors
Using drink or
food to educate visitors
Importance
A 2019 study of international experts shows that the hospitality industry fails to capitalise on all the opportunities available. A hiatus exists between the needs of the traveller and the hospitality industry’s offering.
SOME MORE NUMBERS...
- 93% has participated in a food & beverage activity during a trip over the past 2 years.
- 82% spends more on food and beverages while travelling than at home.
- 62% purchases products at home that they have discovered during their trip.
The institute regularly publishes reports about the growth of food tourism worldwide. A 2016 report (3,000 participants in 11 countries) indicates that 9 of 10 food travellers undertake a food activity during their trip other than visiting a restaurant. This may involve visiting a local market, brewery or vineyard, or participating in a culinary bicycle tour, cooking workshop or helping with the harvest. It is estimated that around 25% of travel budgets is spent on food experiences.
FACTS & FIGURES
Research by the World Food Travel Association shows that food is a unique instrument for generating ambassadors for a region.
- 83% of all participants believes that food & beverage experiences lead to a lasting, positive impression of the destination.
- 81% of all participants learns about food and beverages during their trip.
- 81% of all participants believes that food and beverages help them better understand local culture.

The World Food Travel Association has formulated an elegant definition of Food Tourism. ''Food tourism is the act of traveling for a taste of place in order to get a sense of place." The organisation deems “food tourism much more than just providing a list of gourmet restaurants and wineries. Unique food & beverage products and experiences can help build an area's brand equity, increase revenue & taxes from visitor arrivals and drive export demand for local food and beverage products.”
Food tourism is a new form of tourism. In 2001, the first article discussing this phenomenon appeared, written by the American Erik Wulf, one of the discoverers of the importance of food tourism. Wulf is the founder of the World Food Travel Association, located in Portland, Oregon.

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4 min
Rahi Rezvani Hans Steenbergen Sander van der Meij
The importance of food tourism is growing worldwide. The food experience is becoming an increasingly important way of getting familiar with and appreciating a region. But the hospitality industry is still missing out on quite a lot of opportunities.
TREND: FOOD TOURISM
TRENDWATCH



Performance
Importance
4,49
4,62
3,21
4,72
3,41
3,18
4,31
3,51
Generating positive economic impact to an area through food and drink experiences
Using food and drink to provide a sense of local pride to residents
Protecting local heritage through food and drink
Locals are experiencing little benefits from food tourism. Plenty of room for improvement.
Source: World Food Travel Association
Importance
Performance
4,41
3,33
4,64
3,46
4,41
3,13
Providing unique or innovative experiences to visitors
Providing an authentic experience to visitors
Providing sustainable experiences to visitors
Using drink or
food to educate visitors
4,23
3,13
Using food or drink to promote the image of a destination
Globalisation of food culture constitutes the primary threat to food tourism. An increasing number of travellers are open to the typical flavours and dishes of the region; the global growth of international food chains can pose a threat to culinary diversity in the world: yet another way in which food tourism can have a positive contribution. If travellers are attracted by a unique food culture, the region’s locals benefit.
A lot of future growth is expected in food tourism. Trends in holiday behaviour point in that direction. Western consumers often take shorter holidays. They tend to choose for far destinations more often and are seeking increasing degrees of luxury. Off-the-beaten-track travel is gaining popularity. And experts anticipate an increased demand for meaningful travels: a trip isn’t just for pleasure but also facilitates personal growth. An answer to these up-and-coming developments is local, personal and meaningful food experiences.
A shift in culinary destinations among the international foodie community is observed. For a long time, Spain was one of the favourite destinations. El Bulli – named best restaurant in the world several times over – made for a huge magnet for a large stream of foodies visiting Spain at the beginning of this century.
The next food destination was Copenhagen with the Nordic Cuisine. The legendary restaurant Noma became the centre of this new culinary movement. In the slipstream of Noma, several young chefs opened exciting restaurants throughout the city. Copenhagen transformed from a culinary wasteland into foodie heaven. Nowadays, the city attracts tens of thousands of food travellers each year.
Peru is another appealing food destination. Restaurants such as Astrid y Gaston, Central and Maido are all prominent members of the world’s best restaurant top 50. The country offers a wealth of quality products and hosts the largest food festival in the world: Mistura. Japan, Italy and France are more traditional food destinations.

A 2019 study of international experts shows that the hospitality industry fails to capitalise on all the opportunities available. A hiatus exists between the needs of the traveller and the hospitality industry’s offering.
The institute regularly publishes reports about the growth of food tourism worldwide. A 2016 report (3,000 participants in 11 countries) indicates that 9 of 10 food travellers undertake a food activity during their trip other than visiting a restaurant. This may involve visiting a local market, brewery or vineyard, or participating in a culinary bicycle tour, cooking workshop or helping with the harvest. It is estimated that around 25% of travel budgets is spent on food experiences.
SOME MORE NUMBERS...
- 93% has participated in a food & beverage activity during a trip over the past 2 years.
- 82% spends more on food and beverages while travelling than at home.
- 62% purchases products at home that they have discovered during their trip.
FACTS & FIGURES
Research by the World Food Travel Association shows that food is a unique instrument for generating ambassadors for a region.
- 83% of all participants believes that food & beverage experiences lead to a lasting, positive impression of the destination.
- 81% of all participants learns about food and beverages during their trip.
- 81% of all participants believes that food and beverages help them better understand local culture.
The World Food Travel Association has formulated an elegant definition of Food Tourism. ''Food tourism is the act of traveling for a taste of place in order to get a sense of place." The organisation deems “food tourism much more than just providing a list of gourmet restaurants and wineries. Unique food & beverage products and experiences can help build an area's brand equity, increase revenue & taxes from visitor arrivals and drive export demand for local food and beverage products.”

Food tourism is a new form of tourism. In 2001, the first article discussing this phenomenon appeared, written by the American Erik Wulf, one of the discoverers of the importance of food tourism. Wulf is the founder of the World Food Travel Association, located in Portland, Oregon.

Rahi Rezvani Hans Steenbergen Sander van der Meij
The importance of food tourism is growing worldwide. The food experience is becoming an increasingly important way of getting familiar with and appreciating a region. But the hospitality industry is still missing out on quite a lot of opportunities.
4 min