Food tourists, Culinary tourists and
FOODIES Tommy D. Andersson
University of Gothenburg & University of Macerata
Why are we interested in food tourism? Who is the foodie/food tourist/culinary tourist? What do foodies like to do? How can we attract foodies to our destination?
Food is an important part of most travel experiences
According to one study, 77% of all leisure travel is to some extent food tourism Food activities can be packaged with other activities and events.
Food travel is in most cases socially sustainable
Travelers are looking for local and authentic foods and experiences. Food festivals are a great way to bring communities together and culinary travelers to you.
Food travel is in most cases environmentally sustainable
Local food is most attractive for food tourists. Food choices don not have to be fancy (e.g., a food truck offering unique fare can be more appealing than a gourmet restaurant. Authentic, local, and budget themes will resonate strongly with culinary travelers. 3
Anyone can be a “foodie” – it is a matter of self-identification. There is a great range of interests, and low to high levels of involvement with food. Being a foodie starts with a love of eating, but since everyone eats that is not enough to define foodies. Being a food lover does not necessarily lead to travel. One can be a “home foodie” by virtue of circumstances or preference (e.g., some foodies stress healthy living and sustainable practices so travel for food is not an option) Professor Donald Getz, 2014
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Make up a sizable proportion of the U.S. leisure travel population (17%) Are younger, more affluent, better educated travelers. Are motivated by unique experiences, reinforcing the benefits of focusing on a destination’s individual environmental and cultural elements. Are a more desirable prospect pool across all aspects of the travel experience, culinary and non-culinary. Are the future! The share of U.S. leisure travelers interested in culinary travel in the near future is significantly larger than those currently engaged. Professor Donald Getz, 2014
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Self-identification is a central characteristic of a FOODIE Factor analysis from the Australian data (Getz, Robinson,2014) demonstrates that these four dimensions are crucial to self-identification as a foodie: -Food-Related Identity: First is the importance of cooking to self and social identity - foodies, first and foremost, love to cook; naturally that is reflected in their kitchens, their expenditure on cooking-related materials, and their constant desire to learn more. -Social Bonding: Second, eating is pleasure, but this is largely about the social context; foodies like to please and entertain others, to join others in a great food experience; to seek novelty. -Quality: Third, quality is paramount, both in terms of the produce foodies buy and the meals they purchase. -Finally, foodies appear to be conscientious; they are likely to be fastidious about how they buy, use and dispose of food. Professor Donald Getz, 2014
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1.
An American study suggested three categories:
Deliberates 1+ trips per year where the availability of culinary activities was a key reason for the trip. 30%
Opportunists 1+ trips per year where the availability of culinary opportunities were sought out, but were not a factor in choosing the destination. 26% Accidentals 1+ trips per year where the traveler participated in culinary activities simply because they were available. 19%
Funded by Swedish Agriculture and various tourism organisations. Intended to determine the potential for food tourism by identifying key target markets. Informed by focus groups and the Australian research An open invitation through blogs, etc., plus marketing research panels in four target countries: Germany, Norway, the UK, and Italy Over 3,000 respondents to an online survey Professor Donald Getz, 2014
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Highly-involved foodies (11% of sample)
Foodies who have travelled internationally (39% of sample) FOOD
Sampling and Analysing Foodies in the Multi-Country Survey
LOVERS: -self selected -self-selected from panels in four countries 3 Segments: Dynamic foodies Active foodies Passive foodies
NOT SAMPLED most people are either not foodies or do not have a high propensity to travel internationally
Q: How many times have you travelled internationally in the last 12 months with food as the main reason? COUNTRY
None
GERMANY ITALY NORWAY UK OTHER Average
55% 65 59 72 51 61
1-3 times 41% 31 36 25 38 34
4-6 times 3 4 3 2 7 4
7-9 times 1 1 1 1 2 1
10+ 1 0 1 0 2 1
Sample Size 714 733 611 644 400 N= 3102
1. Top ten destination countries in the European study of 3000+ Foodies. The ranking is based on six dimensions: 1. Good taste, 2. Value for money, 3. Trendy and exiting, 4. Uniqueness, 5. Fresh and local, 6. Ecological and organic)
Food Image of ten countries on six different dimensions
1) Italy (Sum:20755) 10) U.K. (Sum: 4015)
2) France (Sum:18299)
9) Canada (Sum: 4820)
3) Spain (Sum: 15121)
8) Sweden (Sum: 5237)
7) Norway (Sum: 5451)
6) Denmark (Sum: 7297)
5) Germany (Sum: 8084)
4) Japan (Sum: 11736)
Note: In calculating the sum: 3 points awarded if the respondent ranked the country as best; 2 points for second best, and 1 for third best.
Top Ten International Destinations (Country) for “Serious” American culinary travellers. • • • • • • • • • •
Question asked: “How familiar are you with the following as a destination to engage in culinary activities?”
Italy: 55% Mexico: 54% France: 49% Caribbean: 41% Germany: 39% Canada: 35% Spain: 32% Great Britain: 31% Ireland: 26% Australia: 25%
Professor Donald Getz, 2014
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0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Food festival An ethnic or cultural festival, including their food Cooking classes offered by professionals Lessons on what wine to drink with different foods Attending a food competition
A food market where local farmers/fishers sell their fresh food Special gastronomic events at restaurants Seminar or conference on food cuisine or gastronomy A trade fair for food producers Passive Foodies
Active Foodies
Dynamic Foodies
50%
60%
70%
Highly-involved foodies (11% of sample)
Foodies who have travelled internationally (39% of sample) FOOD
Sampling and Analysing Foodies in the Multi-Country Survey
LOVERS: -self selected -self-selected from panels in four countries 3 Segments: Dynamic foodies Active foodies Passive foodies
NOT SAMPLED most people are either not foodies or do not have a high propensity to travel internationally
ACCOMMODATION and TRANSPORTATION PREFERENCES when FOODIES PLAN HOLIDAYS U.K.
ACCOMMODATION and TRANSPORTATION PREFERENCES when FOODIES PLAN HOLIDAYS
GERMANY
1. Take a car to explore the 1. Find the cheapest air fares destination 2. Do all the accommodation and 2. Do all the accommodation and travel booking myself online 1. Do all the accommodation and travel travel booking myself online 3. Take a sightseeing tour in a booking myself online 3. Take a sightseeing tour in a new destination 2. Find the cheapest air fares new destination 3. Take a car to explore the destinatio 4. Take a sightseeing tour in a new destination 5. Stay in a budget accommodation ITALY (2-3 stars) OTHER 1. Find the cheapest air fares 1. Do all the accommodation 6. Stay in a bed and breakfast
2. Do all the accommodation and travel booking myself online and travel booking myself online 2. Take a car to explore the 3. Stay in a budget destination NORWAY accommodation (2-3 stars) 3. Find the cheapest air fares 1.Do all the accommodation and travel booking myself online 2. Find the cheapest air fares 3. Take a sightseeing tour in a new destination
CORE AND AUGMENTED EXPERIENCES FOR FOODIES A Destination Concept for Food Tourism
RESORT, SPA, NATURE islands, hiking, heritage
FOR HIGHLY INVOLVED & DYNAMIC FOODIES: Tactile experiences Including meeting chefs, cooking, degustations
CORE EXPERIENCES for FOODIES: Farmer’s markets Regional cuisine Romantic meals Food Festivals
URBAN CULTURE Galleries and museums
-Consumption
-Learning -Mastery of techniques
-Entertainment
-Family fun -Hedonism
TARGETED AT FOODIES -Cultural authenticity
-Celebration and ritual
-Aesthetic appreciation
-Heritage interpretation
-Creativity
Foodies want much more than eating and drinking, but many food event organizers do not understand that food tourism is abut experiences, not consumption. Food quality is crucial, also…
Uniqueness Provenance (knowing where it comes from is important) Authenticity (national or local cuisine) Professor Donald Getz, 2014
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Foodies love to learn from chefs and other experts (e.g., sommeliers, farmers, fishers) Interpretation is essential (e.g., guided tour of farmers’ markets; stories of the sea by fishers) Hands-on involvement is highly desired (e.g., picking, fishing, cooking, serving)
Professor Donald Getz, 2014
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Authentic food-tourism experiences provide lasting memories of the destination; stories to tell Experiences consist of doing, thinking and feeling
Cultural authenticity is both defined by residents and by tourists who have certain expectations and preferences Foodies want to celebrate with other food lovers Food-tourism events and experiences should contain rituals or ceremonies that mark special occasions
Professor Donald Getz, 2014
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There is beauty in wellprepared food The setting is also important Chefs and other experts can bring out the creative talents of foodies Professor Donald Getz, 2014
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Vision, strategy, action Plan Market research Strengthen the national and regional food brand Develop food-tourism clusters Maximize local and national value by managing the supply chain Create a national portfolio of food events and other attractive, hands-on experiences Communicate and establish relationships with highly involved foodies who travel Professor Donald Getz, 2014
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Why are we interested in food tourism? Who is the food tourist/foodie/culinary tourist? What do foodies like to do? How can we attract foodies to our destination?
Yor comments and/or questions are welcome.
[email protected]
Thank you for your attention
Tommy D Andersson University of Gothenburg & University of Macerata
