More than six in ten travelers (61%) say they pick a destination for its great food or drink; Over half of global travelers (51%) are likely to seek out local street food markets; Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan and Brazil are among the top places to discover local food across the globe.
If there’s one thing most people agree on when traveling, it’s that food is a major consideration when picking a destination. According to Booking.com data from over 50,000 global travelers, more than six in ten travelers (61%) say they pick a destination for its great food or drink. There’s no denying the significance of culinary travel, with more than a third (34%) of global travelers – rising to 40% of millennials – planning to take a dedicated food tourism trip sometime in 2018.
It’s also clear that our appetite is only increasing. Almost half (49%) of global travelers are still looking to be more adventurous with the type of cuisine they eat while traveling, rising to 60% of millennials. One way to achieve this is to sample the local delicacy whilst traveling. In fact, almost two thirds (64%) of global travelers will try to eat more local food in 2018.
Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travelers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, reveals the top destinations around the world to sample local gastronomy, as discovered by the millions of Booking.com traveler reviews.
Top destinations for tasting local food
- Ipoh, Malaysia
- Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Nagoya, Japan
- Johor Bahru, Malaysia
- Joao Pessoa, Brazil
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Colmar, France
- Lima, Peru
- Catania, Italy
- Belgrade, Serbia
Street food markets
Over half (51%) of global travelers are likely to seek out local street food markets this year, which is a great way to try local food. More than half of travelers (54%) want to experience more unique dining experiences when traveling and food trucks are the perfect way to do this. Millions of Booking.com reviews by real travelers reveal the top destinations to enjoy these unique foodie experiences:
Local delights: the places to try
Some of the best places to try the local cuisine are in Southeast Asia, with regional delicacies like dim sum, noodles and pho. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that exploratory eaters also come from this area, as 57% of Asians confirm they are looking for new cuisine to try this year.
Top destinations for street food
- Jeonju, South Korea
- Hsinchu City, Taiwan
- Marrakech, Morocco
- New York City, USA
- Mexico City, Mexico
Top destinations for food trucks
- Portland, USA
- Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Marrakech, Morocco
- Seoul, South Korea
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Istanbul, Turkey
A photo good enough to eat
Social media is filled with photographs that show off traveling and foodie adventures. Beautiful, bright and unusual foods are the perfect way to fill your feed and offer an opportunity to show off local food finds. Nearly a third of travelers (31%) plan to take more food pictures this year. This is most popular amongst Asian travelers from China (65%), India (57%), Thailand (53%), Indonesia (50%) and Hong Kong (48%).
Pepijn Rijvers, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com comments: “Food plays a huge role in our travel choices and ultimately in our overall travel experiences. Trying the local and street food is a great way for travelers to really embrace the local culture, get immersed in local communities and explore the new and different. Using our endorsements from real traveler reviews can help you identify the best places to try and new places to discover so you can taste your way around the world!”
Source: Travel Daily News