Food Tourism

It does not matter with experience, he or not, whether traveling far or near hometown absolutely for any tourist an integral part of his journey is food. In the 21st century, not only technologies have a successful trend in development, but also one of the most ancient activities – tourism. This is how the direction of food tourism was originated and spread among travelers all over the world. In this essay, we will discuss the advantages of this direction, based on the reasons for its popularity and its influence on various spheres of life.

Food tourism is a movement aimed at obtaining a culinary experience by searching for unique places, combinations of products, kitchens, etc. At the same time, food tourism is not limited to gourmet food and to the culture of people. Therefore, in the attention of the target audience, fast food and street food are always on a par with restaurants of the Michelin. Also, it is considered that for the fulfillment of food tourism it is not even necessary to travel outside the home country and even the region. A whole range of reasons promotes this type of tourism to the masses, ensuring its further development. Arriving in a new country, the tourist is aimed at new sensations and knowledge and then culinary tourism is manifested in not only enjoying the taste but also in the knowledge of the history of the dish, its production.

Speaking about food tourism, we should not forget that this is separate from the familiar to us tourism industry. Against this background, it is worth considering the impact of food tourism on the economy, the arrangement and development of tourist places in general. Firstly, food tourism is not a potential threat to the resort business, but on the contrary, contributes to its prosperity. So, for example, based on the principles of food tourism, the owner of the restaurant chain strives to gain credibility through a unique concept of serving dishes or by reliance on national traditions. Absolutely different influence is rendered by food tourism on the culture of the region. In this area, the culture tends to develop according to the latest trends; you have to create new dishes and, accordingly, a new perspective.

From these aspects, we have the following criterion of influence – financial development within the region. This is a separate issue, which requires a serious long discussion, but I offer you an overview. Firstly, in order to win the attention of the food tourist, organizations invest certain amounts in marketing services. So, interaction with the tourism business has turned food into an object of tourism marketing. Secondly, food tourism opens new doors to unpopular regions and cities that were unknown among tourists. This is the interaction of developing tourist zones and raising the economic level of the region. Thirdly, there is an impact on local producers. For example, food tourism makes it possible to develop products that are not popular among the locals.

Summarizing, it can be argued that food tourism does not have a season and a certain location. Spreading around the world in a certain progression of popularity, it gives a number of advantages to the owners of the tourism business of all kinds. Places, where food tourism is already developing, tend to attract more tourists, more sales, and media development. You can also see the opening of new competitive enterprises and unique trade offers. All this leads to an improvement in the standard of living and increased economic prosperity.

Article & photos by Valeriia Rogovaia.