The Gastro Tourism Trend
When in Rome do as the Romans do – well this seems to have been taken quite literally with more and more UK holidaymakers being attracted by the local cuisine of a growing number of countries around the world!
It will come as no surprise to hear that Italy is among the most popular gastronomic tourism destinations when it comes to world cuisine and is attracting growing number of UK visitors who are there simply for the food. Quite apart from the sights and the culture, the country has an global reputation for excellent food. While you may think that attractions of the local cuisine do not move markets, research has shown that 1 in 10 UK travellers are choosing their destinations with the local food featuring high on their list of priorities, given that eating out is a big part of being on holiday.
As well as interest in Italy we are also seeing increasing demand for areas such as Greece and Columbia to mention just a couple. It seems that the Greek love of cheese and the growth in popularity of Columbian coffee are starting to register with holiday makers, largely spurred on by the rise of fairtrade food products and an increased environmental focus on food and its origin. This attention on foodie destinations is possibly at the expense of countries like Spain which for many UK residents is more like home from home in some of the more popular resorts.
This new interest in travelling overseas to sample local cultures and cuisine has opened up something of a new market for overseas property investors, with more UK investors becoming aware of the move. Whether it is the sale of traditional overseas dishes in the UK which has caught the eye of the population, or just a requirement for something other that sun, sand and sea there are changes afoot in the tourism market place.
It seems that Italy is reaping the greatest benefit from this new visitor trend, but with other areas of the world offering UK visitors something a little different on the culinary front, it seems that other markets may well follow suit. Venezuelan chocolate, Columbian coffee, Greek cheese or traditional Argentinian ribs, it seems that the UK palate has certain undergone something of a major change of late!
