Anticipating continued strong growth in food tourism, the first World Food Tourism Summit last week drew hundreds of attendees from 26 countries, including the United States and Canada, to Lisbon where industry experts focused on how gastronomy, by providing an effective way to introduce foreign visitors to local culture and traditions, spurs tourism in general.
Organized by the Portuguese Culinary and Economic Tourism Association (APTECE), the Summit, held April 8-10 at the Estoril Congress Center, fielding 425 registrations, took stock of the burgeoning food tourism market with an eye toward creating a global alliance of producers, restaurants, chefs, hotels, destination marketing organizations, tour operators and other travel service providers, tourism boards, and municipal sponsors.
Said APTECE President José Borralho, “We’re looking to share experiences between countries where people can exchange ideas and educate each other.”
The Summit was organized shortly after APTECE broke away from the World Food Travel Association in January over differences over how to develop the market. Borralho said the Summit was designed to emphasize a practical approach to food tourism.
Kenny Dunn, managing director of Philadelphia-based Eating Europe, which expects to bring 25,000 North American travelers to Europe this year, said a stand-alone meeting focused on food tourism, in contrast to a general travel conference that may include a session on the topic, reflects the industry’s rapid growth.
“Food is the great leveler and brings people together,” he said. “People’s relationship with food is changing and is helping them discover other countries in more depth. They want to dive deep.”
Dunn said 15 percent of his company’s clients describe themselves as “foodies” and a similar share are first-time travelers.
Kathy Dragon, executive director of Whole Journeys, based in Boulder, Colo., which focuses on small tours up to 16 people, suggested that food tourism—also called culinary tourism and gastrotourism, and defined as the pursuit and enjoyment of unique, memorable food and drink experiences—is poised to grow the way adventure travel expanded, which, according to a George Washington University study, increased 65 percent annually from 2009 through 2013.
She added, “This type of conference offers something completely different from industry tradeshows. By taking pre-meeting tours, participants got to experience the product before the Summit,” while Dunn noted that the Summit let him build awareness for his four-year-old company and expand his professional network.
Food Tourism Is Traditional Tourism that Dives Deeper
“Food is the story, not the sidebar to a larger story, and has become the cultural currency of the twenty-first century,” said Matt Goulding, co-author of the New York Times bestselling series Eat This, Not That. “Food is the magnifying glass to culture and the people who make food.”
Since tourists generally eat two or three times a day, they engage in culinary tourism even if they may not think of it that way, Summit attendees were told.
They also spend: 35 percent of their travel budget on food and drink, a share that, many Summit presenters suggested, is likely to grow in coming years, especially as destination marketing organizations increasingly cater to traveler s’ interest in food. To underscore the point, a University of Florida study reported that food service was the top category of travel spending in 2012.
Dragon, whose company will lead about two dozen tours this year, said intergenerational travel, where different generations within a family will travel together, will also likely help drive growth in food tourism.
Portugal as a Vacation and Food Destination
Tourism to Portugal grew 12 percent in 2014—faster than the rest of Europe— with the pace projected to continue in 2015, according to João Cotrim Figueiredo, president of Tourism Portugal.
As important, he said, 40 percent of international travelers to Portugal say cuisine is a key reason for their visit, because food and wine “has an authenticity that reflects the character of the Portuguese people, fuses multiple cultures, and provides an ideal context for getting people together.”
But, Carlos Coelho, CEO of Ivity Brand Corp., which includes SATA airlines among its clients, said, “Portugal has not branded itself sufficiently. The food products and the country is not known that well internationally, even though it makes world-class olive oil, wine, brandy, and Port.”
That rings especially true for U.S. travelers. While 9.4 million international visitors disembarked in Portugal in 2014 (nearly equal to the country’s population of 10.4 million), only 360,000, or less than four percent, came from the U.S. Figueiredo said Portugal is actively seeking to attract more U.S. tourists, recognizing, he said, that it is largely a matter of educating the American traveler.
“Portugal offers a very competitive value and is extremely safe. We enjoy one of the highest satisfaction rates among travelers worldwide, which means people coming to Portugal have a very high chance of a having a positive, memorable visit, “he said. “Food and wine is a major part of it, with 81 percent of international visitors saying they are very satisfied with the gastronomy. When you add in a great climate, plus the fact you won’t friendlier people anywhere else, visiting Portugal is a no brainer.”
Noting that the U.S. market is composed of several subsidiary markets—including surfers who have discovered that Portugal offers the best surfing in Europe—Figueiredo said his organization will be ramping up its outreach efforts, using social media in particular to raise awareness of Portugal as a prime vacation destination.
Portuguese gastronomy dates back 1,000 years and reflects European, North African, Eastern influences that grew out of spice trade in the 16th Century. More recently, a rapidly growing wine industry, based on more than 250 varieties of grapes, that has won international recognition for excellence.
Portuguese cuisine is also healthy in that it incorporates the fundamental features of the so-called Mediterranean diet—fruits, vegetables, fish, olive oil, and moderate wine and meat consumption—that, along with physical activity, has been associated with reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases.
Because the country is small relative to France, Spain, Italy, and Germany, an emphasis on quality, not quantity, drives its approach to gastronomy. Indeed, Portugal now boasts 17 Michelin stars, one of the highest number for countries outside France.
Visit Portugal, www.visitportugal.com
World Food Tourism Summit, www.worldfoodtourismsummit.com