In 2001, the president of the International Culinary Tourism Association, Erik Wolf presented a white paper about culinary tourism. That paper was then made into a book, which marked the beginning of the emergent growth of culinary tourism.

From visiting famous locations to experiencing different cultures, people have a variety of reasons for traveling around the globe. In the realm of culinary tourism, one reason takes the cake. Food. The world is full of diverse cultures and unique traditions waiting to be explored by curious travelers. For culinary tourists, food stands as the defining factor that represents the true essence of any region. However, it’s more than just about trying out new foods and beverages – it’s a learning experience that encompasses the food’s history, how the food is made, and how it’s served and eaten.

What does Culinary Tourism include?

In the past few years, culinary tourism has become an increasingly prominent travel trend. For all the food and wine enthusiasts, there are several options of culinary tours, food competitions, wine events, and even cooking classes. So you can easily choose a culinary tourism travel package that fits your preference.

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Photo credit: Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2012. Image credit Sally May Mills

Cooking Classes

Food lovers who prefer a more hands-on experience may attend cooking classes offered in various cities. These classes take you deep into the culture of their respective cuisines, and teach you traditional techniques and mannerisms. Some cooking classes worth traveling for are the Les Petits Francis (Nice, France), Casa Artusi (Forlimpopoli, Italy), Los Dos (Merida, Mexico), and Tokyo Kitchen (Tokyo, Japan).

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Photo credit: Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Festivals

One of the reasons behind the rising popularity of culinary tourism has been food and wine festivals. Festivals like the Cayman Cookout (Cayman Islands), and Tokyo Ramen Show (Japan) offer an immersive culinary experience as well as some great entertainment. For chocolate lovers, one of the biggest chocolate festivals, the Salon du Chocolat, is an event to look out for.

 

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Photo credit: Martinborough-Wairarapa-Scott-Venning

 

Winery and Brewery Tours

Another activity that comes under the umbrella of culinary tourism are winery and brewery tours. You can sample some of the best wines and beers while touring the vineyards and breweries and learning the history behind each drink. In addition, cycling tours offer a new and interesting way to experience your culinary wine journey. Whether it’s through the esteemed vineyards of Burgundy (France) or trekking around the azure waters of Peloponnese (Greece), wine-cycling deserves a top spot in your culinary bucket list.

During the early stages, events surrounding culinary tourism mainly catered to the luxury foods market. However, there has been a growing interest in regional street-food and local home-made cuisines. More and more culinary tours are being designed to cater to these trends, making them more affordable and accessible.

Culinary tourism isn’t always about traveling to a different country – it can be both domestic and international. So regardless of whether you’re making trips around the globe, or traversing different regions of your home country in search of new food and beverages, you can count yourself as a proud culinary tourist.

Whether you’re an avid food enthusiast, or a devoted tourist looking to spice up your travels with some culinary pizzazz, here at Ingenious Travel, we offer various packages to provide the perfect fit for you. Contact us today so we can help you enjoy the world one bite and sip at a time!

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