Culinary Tourism

While it is possible for people to prepare and eat a wide variety of foreign, regional, and exotic foods at home, culinary tourism (also known as food tourism, or gastronomic tourism) generally refers to the pastime of visiting different cities, geographical regions, or entire countries to taste and buy their signature foods, to explore culinary practices, or to participate in food festivals. Since the 1980s, culinary tourism has grown dramatically not only due to the rise of the tourism and hospitality industry, but also because of the increasing popularity of television programming devoted to cooking, food, and travel. Culinary tourism has benefited rural economies, small business owners, and beer and wine industries. It has inspired small towns and cities to connect with consumers in creative ...