Culinary Tourism Market Size, Share and Trends 2024 to 2034

Culinary Tourism Market Size and Forecast 2024 to 2034

The global culinary tourism market size is calculated at USD 13.83 billion in 2024 and is predicted to reach around USD 85.04 billion by 2034, expanding at a healthy CAGR of 19.92% from 2024 to 2034. The increasing attraction towards travel and tourism activities and interest towards exploring the localized food and culture is driving the growth of the culinary tourism market.

Culinary Tourism Market Key Takeaways

• Europe dominated the global market with the largest market share of 35% in 2023.
• Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period.
• By activity, the food festival segment contributed the highest market share of 31% in 2023.
• By activity, the culinary trails segment is predicted to grow at a significant CAGR over the forecast period.
• By booking mode, booking culinary tourism packages segment captured the biggest market share of 61% in 2023.
• By booking mode, the culinary tourism packages booked through online travel agencies segment is expected to expand at a solid CAGR during the predicted period.
• By tourist type, the existential tourist type segment generated a major market share of 41% in 2023.
• By tourist type, the diversionary segment is projected to grow at a notable CAGR during the predicted period.

How Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) Impact the Culinary Tourism Market?

Artificial intelligence plays an important role in the culinary tourism market. It helps in enhancing the overall operations in the travel industry. AI algorithms help in detecting and analyzing the consumer behavior with their travel history, search recommendations, and other activities. AI could offer the personalized recommendation in terms of food and travel destination. AI is playing a huge role in continuous evaluation and transforming the landscape of the travel and culinary experience.

• In October 2024, Thomas Cook India collaborated with Atirath Technologies to implement an AI-driven solution that helps enhance scaling services, personalization, and customer service and experience improvement.

Europe Culinary Tourism Market Size and Growth 2024 to 2034

The Europe culinary tourism market size is exhibited at USD 4.56 billion in 2024 and is expected to be worth around USD 28.49 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 20.09% from 2024 to 2034.

Europe dominated the culinary tourism market in 2023. Europe has the highest number of tourists around the world, which has a great impact on the expansion of the culinary tourism industry. The country has a wide range of diversity and cultural heritage with the presence of a number of local food and culinary heritage. The rising presence of attractive tourist locations and culinary heritage attracts tourists to prefer European countries for traveling.

As per the WFTA,

• European tourists are willing to pay around 25% of their overall trip budget for food and beverages; the number is flexible according to the location. In the expensive locations, the number will increase to 35%, and in the cheaper locations, it is about 15% of the overall budget.
• 18% of European tourists accept that culinary (food and beverages) helps them understand the local culture. 
• France, the United Kingdom, and Germany are the major sources of countries for culinary tourism. 39% of French tourist plan their travel according to the food and culinary heritage of the destination. 34% of German tourist plan their travel visit as per their culinary choices. The United Kingdom has the highest number of tourists, with 40% planning their travel destination as per the food and drinks.

Asia Pacific is expected to show the fastest growth in the culinary tourism market during the forecast period. The growth of the market is attributed to the higher presence of the diverse cultural heritage in regional countries such as India, Thailand, Vietnam, Bali, Japan, and China. Regional countries have a number of local and authentic foods that attract foreign tourists, enhancing culinary tourism. Countries like Thailand, Bali, India, and others have world-class cuisines and support government policies for the expansion of tourism.

• The Indian tourism industry is one of the growing regions all around the world. India's tourism and hospitality industry is expected to generate revenue of over USD 59 billion by 2028, and according to the Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs), is expected to reach USD 30.5 million by 2028.
• The annual growth rate of FTAs is 305.4% in India in 2022. 9.24 million tourists arrived in India in 2023.
• In 2022, 1.73 billion domestic tourists were in all states and Union territories.

Market Overview

Culinary tourism is also known as gastronomy or food tourism, and the term is used to explore food for travel purposes. The food is one of the major factors that is considered when choosing the travel destination. From the marketing perspective, it plays an important role in prompting travel locations. Culinary tourism helps in revitalizing preserved recipes, culture, cooking techniques, and food rituals all over the world.

Culinary Tourism Market Growth Factors

• Increasing tourism: The sudden boost in the travel and hospitality industry after the COVID-19 pandemic is highly contributing to the expansion of culinary tourism, and the rising attraction of the population towards food and travel is driving the growth of the market.
• Rising travel and hospitality: The rise in the travel and hospitality industry all around the world due to the increasing preference of people towards outdoor traveling and exploring new cultures, local food, and experiencing different heritage is contributing to the expansion of culinary tourism.
• Economic stability: The growing economic stability in the population in developing and developed countries, elevated lifestyle, and surging expenditure on travel, food, and luxury positively impacted culinary tourism in the different countries.

Market Scope

Market Dynamics

Driver

Expanding tourism industry

The rising economic growth in the different countries, disposable income in the population, and the continuous rise in population are contributing to the expansion of the culinary tourism market. The population has a rising preference for food and exploring the local culture, food, and heritage of different countries. The surging investment in lifestyle upgradation, tourism, and food by the population and the availability of diverse cultures in food and travel destinations.

Restraint

Poor management skills

Poor management skills lead to excessive food wastage and poor working conditions. The increased cost and management time are also limiting the expansion of the culinary tourism market. 

Opportunity

The technological advancements in culinary tourism

The growing number of food-focusing apps and agencies are driving the opportunities in the culinary tourism market. Applications such as OpenTable, TripAdvisor, LocalEats, Yelp, and FoodSpotting help in providing detailed information about restaurants, local food or cuisines, and food tours. Additionally, the rising investments in the research and development program on the integration of technologies into culinary tourism are driving the market expansion.

Activity Insights

The food festival segment dominated the culinary tourism market in 2023. Food festivals play an important role in promoting culinary tourism in any country. There are several food festivals organized by the regional governments of countries that attract tourists from around the world to explore the local delicacies. Foreign investors help enhance local businesses and expect to generate significant revenue. Food festivals celebrate local cuisine and focus on the local and diverse availability of the food, culture, and tradition associated with the food. Furthermore, the food festivals help enhance local food engagement, increase community engagement, enhance culinary development, and so on.

• In January 2024, The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) announced the launch of an epicurean delight, its most awaited 8th Edition of the Bahrain Food Festival. The culinary festival guarantees an unparalleled blend of tastes, which elevates the culinary experience of the tourists and residents.
• In November 2023, the Indian Mission to ASEAN collaborated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare for the launch of a five-day Millets Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia. The festival is organized to raise awareness about the millets and expand its market.

The culinary trails segment is expected to show the fastest growth in the culinary tourism market during the forecast period. The culinary trails are events that are organized to celebrate the regional food in different locations. It mainly focuses on the regional, ethnic, and local culinary heritage. The culinary trails promote local cuisine or food, help increase rural tourism and employment, and promote social engagement.

Booking Mode Insights

Booking culinary tourism packages through the direct travel segment led the culinary tourism market in 2023. The increasing adoption of direct travel booking for culinary tourism is more efficient and cost-effective than other types of booking mediums. Direct travel provides efficient deals in the booking of hotels, flights, and car rentals. There are several leading travel and hospitality providers working on different travel packages with more personalized requirements and costs.

The culinary tourism packages booked through online travel agencies segment will witness the fastest growth in the culinary tourism market during the predicted period. Online travel agencies are one of the significant developments in the travel and tourism industry. Online travel packages are a one-stop solution for booking flights, hotels, cabs, and other travel facilities in a more precise and accurate way. Online travel agencies have several benefits for customers, including plenty of choices in the packages with different price ranges and providing user convenience as compared to offline or direct travel agencies.

Tourist Type Insights

The existential tourist type segment accounted for the largest share of the culinary tourism market in 2023. The existential tourist type seeks to find local food and aims to eat in localized places where the local people eat. Existential tourists are not the regular type of tourists seeking gourmet and Westernized food; they prefer the local and authentic food and culture of the region. Existential tourists are mostly attracted to food festivals, vineyard tours, cooking classes, schools, fishing trips, and other types of local activities.

The diversionary segment is expected to show the fastest growth in the culinary tourism market during the forecast period. Diversionary tourists are the type of tourists who are actually concerned about their travel settings. They need prompt settings in every field or subject of tourism. The diversionary tourists invest their time, money, and efforts to find the top 10 places on the list. 

Culinary Tourism Market Companies

• Abercrombie & Kent USA, LLC
• India Food Tour
• Classic Journeys, LLC
• The FTC4Lobe Group
• The Travel Corporation
• Greaves Travel Ltd
• Gourmet on Tour
• Culinary Adventures International
• Culinary Tours
• Butterfield & Robinson Inc.

Latest Announcements by Industry Leaders

• In April 2024, Abercrombie & Kent invested in more wildlife experiences and enhanced technology for travel advisors. The travel group invested $2.5 billion in the coming 5 years to launch new destinations and products, including lodges, camps, and ships for oceans, expeditions, and river cruises. 
• Butterfield & Robinson, a globally recognized premier active travel company, extended its portfolio in Africa with three scheduled groups, Zimbabwe Conservation Safari, Rwanda Walking, and South Africa Multi-Active, in 2024. 

Recent Developments

• In October 2024, Marriott International’s Luxury Group introduces the highly awaited The Future of Food 2025, which covers the Asia Pacific’s transformative influence on the global culinary and dining landscape. Including insights from the mixologists, 30 esteemed chefs, and industry experts across the region. 
• In October 2024, TITC and Maggi launched “Unzip Golden Ingredients,” 2024, introducing unique local ingredients and promoting Vietnamese culinary tourism. 
• In July 2024, the Meghalaya government started the latest skill development program, which focuses on basic cooking skills for tourism industry laborers in the South West Garo Hills district. 
• In July 2024, the Korea Tourism Organization and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched the “Taste Your Korea” campaign. The campaign aims to promote the rich culinary culture and South Korea as a food tourism destination. 

Segments Covered in the Report

By Activity

• Culinary Trails
• Cooking Classes
• Restaurants
• Food Festivals
• Others

By Booking Mode 

• Online Travel Agencies (Ota)
• Tour Operators
• Direct Travel

By Tourist Type

• Recreational
• Diversionary
• Existential
• Experimental

By Geography

• North America
• Asia Pacific
• Europe
• Latin America
• Middle East and Africa