Travel trend small hotels should watch — Food tourism

When we go travelling, food will always come into the picture at some point. And as travelling becomes more than sun, sea and relaxation, we’re seeing a new grain of traveller emerge — the foodie tourist.

These explorative travellers want to go on a culinary and cultural journey. They want to immerse themselves in local life, and gain a true sense of what it’s like to live there.

Food tourism has evolved into more than dining out at a fancy restaurant. It’s about visiting local farms, taking cooking courses in the house of a local, or planning a trip to a popular food festival.

Travellers today make food experiences the main reason for booking a trip.

Thanks to the rise of social media, more travellers are sharing their holiday and food snaps while away. As people are more exposed to different cultures and cuisines online, it makes them want to experience it for themselves.

This online sharing contributes to the growth of food tourism. And as such, hotels need to start seeing themselves as more than accommodation. In its place, they should promote an immersive hub that drives the entire holiday experience.

With food becoming a major priority amongst travellers, how can hotels create the kind of culinary memories guests are now looking for?

But first, let’s explore the facts…

Food tourism stats

Over a third of tourist spending is devoted to food

75% of American leisure travellers are motivated by a culinary activity for visiting a destination

61% of millennials say food and culinary experiences are most important to them in general

While 52% of millennials say food experiences are the main reason they travel

When tour operator Intrepid Travel released a food adventure program, 35% were between the age of 50 and 69, while 40% were between 20 and 39

Europe and North America are the most popular destinations for food and drink tours

A survey from the World Tourism Organisation revealed, 88% of its members believe that food is a strategic element in defining the destination brand and image

93% look for food and beverage experiences other than dining

The most important food experiences are:

Food events at 79%

Food routes at 62%

Cooking courses and workshops at 62%

Visits to local markets and producers at 53%

Cultural food experiences

The cultural aspect and the excitement of tasting unfamiliar cuisines drives this growing trend. Travellers consider food tourism as one of the best ways to discover the real story of a place.

They want to see where and how they grow produce, they want to harvest local, fresh vegetables and cook them the way locals do.

Tours of local farms are becoming popular attractions, where travellers can enjoy a farm-to-table meal. To heighten the authenticity of their experience, they’re also choosing to work for a day at a vineyard or farm.

One things for sure, food travellers aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty and engage more deeply with locals. Many travellers are now booking cooking courses in a local’s own home. Travellers cook a meal with the home owner and they all sit around the table to enjoy what they’ve made.

It’s bridging a gap on a cultural and generational level. Uniting young and old through food no matter where they come from.

Edible resorts

With a bigger focus on what we eat while travelling, hotels across the world are making food experiences their main attraction.

One such trend is the introduction of edible hotel landscapes. Hotels are popping up in vineyards and olive groves, and surrounded by edible ornamental gardens. All to create a relevant, sensually inviting experience for hotel guests.

Travellers can wander the grounds and pick fruits from the trees. You can’t get anything fresher and more locally relevant than that.

The Forest Side Hotel in Cumbria have planted a range of edibles for guests to enjoy in their new contemporary garden. It features edible herbs, wild flowers, fruit trees, as well as many vegetables they use for their restaurant menu.

Food festivals

Food festivals have become a real food adventure for travellers, and they’ve become the sole motivation for choosing a particular destination.

Some of the world’s most popular food festivals attract millions of food fanatics every year. The San Francisco Street Food Festival draws a crowd of 50,000 annually, while the Pahiyas Festival in the Philippines saw 3.2 million locals and tourists in 2015.

Food festivals give travellers not only a place to sample a vast range of local dishes, it’s a chance to mingle with locals, hear native music, witness a new way of life and celebrate their traditions in one immersive space.

Food festivals are now a major factor in the traveller’s decision making.

How can hotels leverage this data?

So now we know how food tourism is shaping the travel industry, what can your hotel do to see ongoing payoffs from this rising trend…

Offering numerous food experiences in and outside your hotel will help you attract and connect with the food focussed traveller.

This requires going beyond the obvious, such as offering a discount at your restaurant for a family of four. That does little in the way to create a food experience to remember.

Instead, think about how you can get your guests closely involved. Could you offer a cooking class with your head chef or offer classes externally? Perhaps you could provide tasting sessions from local cheese, chocolate or wine makers.

How about reinventing your garden into an edible haven where guests can pick and eat as they stroll? Fruit, herb and vegetable seeds are only a small investment that will transform your outdoor spaces. Then in a year’s time you’ll have a maturing edible landscape your guests will love, which you can also use for your cooking classes and menus.

If your hotel is near an upcoming food festival, be sure to use your close proximity as a marketing advantage. You could offer room discounts for travellers attending the festival, or include other perks such as free tickets to win bookings.

Food is a gateway for guests to better understand the destinations they visit, and this desire for cultural exploration is intensifying. The rise of food tourism presents an ongoing opportunity for hotels, to create an exceptional experience for guests while offering greater motivation to book.