The International Tourism Trade Fairs Association (ITTFA) comments on a coming trend.
FOOD has always been a component of tourism but it is only recently that it has been truly recognised for the significant part it plays in the overall experience of a destination.
Today’s tourist is better informed, more cultured, well travelled and looking for new experiences and food offers a gateway into other cultures through taste, preparation and the whole eating environment. Food and drink also provide lasting memories which define a holiday or travel experience.
Food tourism could be commercial or domestic, festive or ordinary, involving restaurants, festivals, cookbooks, speciality food stores, food events, cookery classes, films, brochures, food and wine tours and other similar ways of physically experiencing the product. But there are also the tangible aspects of food and drink which provide a knowledge base into the religion, traditions, customs and history of other places.
It could be said that food tourism has shaped such traditional gastro destinations as France or Italy, whereas in emerging destinations such as Vietnam or Oman, food plays an important role in the attraction of tourists and the overall experience. Destinations now realise that there is great potential for food tourism to offer a sustainable tourism product, the wine routes of South Africa and California are testimony to this and newer markets would do well to ensure that the food options on offer are as appealing as possible and shown in their best light.
Travel exhibitions now provide ideal platforms for food tourism, be that as part of a country or region exhibit or as a stand-alone attraction such as a specific food event or location. For example Cheddar in Somerset, England, is visited for its cheese production. As well as this many exhibitors incorporate traditional food into their stand exhibits adding interest and appeal to the tourism offering.
Exhibition organisers can also use food tourism as a focal point of a show, linking all the different elements via food and drink or by using food as an added attraction to the show. ITTFA member TIP Alpe-Adria has a connecting theme throughout its 2011 exhibition based on cookery which will highlight the different types of food across the Alpe-Adria region.
Antonio Dell’Aquilano, current president of ITTFA is the exhibition and event manager for TTG Italia which held its B2B event TTG Incontri last month in Rimini. He said: “There is, without doubt, an increase in the promotion of food and drink tourism at our event. We have lots of exhibitors offering eco-gastronomic experiences and we have pro actively invited buyers dealing with the same product to stimulate business and growth in this area.
“In addition, for TTG Incontri – TTI 2010, we have organised a series of ‘happy hours’ at the end of the business appointment sessions showcasing typical food and drink products offered by the various Italian regions.This initiative has been very well welcomed by the regional marketing boards which recognise the importance of food and drink as a key element in the holiday experiences.”
Tasting tourism is therefore what it is all about and ensuring that this is covered and promoted as part of the marketing initiative for all tourism destinations. There is plenty of growth in this area at travel trade exhibitions and, with recession still biting, this area of tourism is a great draw.