Travels for the tummy
Among the over 118 million real traveller reviews on the travel website Booking.com, food stands out as a clear passion for many, representing a central theme in countless reviews.
The data reveals Asian and South American flavours feature highly in the top ten foodie favourite destinations with Greece, Australia and Spain also included. Hong Kong, with its famous dim sum, Sao Paulo with Brazilian barbeque and Tokyo, whose restaurants have accrued more Michelin stars than New York and Paris combined, top the list.
When choosing their next travel destination, the majority (75 per cent) of global travellers would likely travel somewhere known for its great food and drink. Millennials are the most keen to combine travel and food, with 79 per cent of travellers between the ages of 18 and 34 considering going somewhere specifically known for its gastronomic delights.
Almost one in 10 (eight per cent) of tourists have travelled in the last year to fulfil their hobby of fine dining and seven per cent for their passion for wine.
“Culinary travel is an ever-growing trend, with travellers planning trips centred on taste-inspired exploration and seeking to fully immerse themselves in the local culture, of which food plays a huge part. Not only are people looking for luxury gastronomic experiences, but also sampling local and street food,” says Pepijn Rijvers, chief marketing officer of Booking.com. “By using real traveller reviews, of which there are over 118 million on Booking.com and growing each day, we’re able to help travellers to discover the best places to explore and the best dishes to try.
The top 10 cities globally endorsed for food by Booking.com travellers are:
1
Hong Kong
2
Sao Paulo, Brazil
3
Tokyo, Japan
4
Athens, Greece
5
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
6
Melbourne, Australia
7
Bangkok, Thailand
8
Granada, Spain
9
Las Vegas, USA
10
Buenos Aires, Argentina
In Thailand, the top spots for food endorsed by Booking.com travellers from Thailand are Pattaya for its fresh seafood menus, Phuket for its mouth-watering hot Southern style dishes, and Bangkok, for its wide range of world-famous restaurants.
The Top 5 cities in Thailand endorsed for food are Pattaya, Phuket Town, Bangkok, Krabi and
Chiang Mai.
