Going Local Essential Ingredient For Foodie Adventures

If there’s one thing most agree on when travelling, it’s that food is a major consideration when picking a destination.

According to new research from Booking.com, nearly half of Canadian travellers (46%) say they pick a destination for its great food or drink. There’s no denying the significance of culinary travel, with 19% of Canadian travellers – rising to 40% of millennials – planning to take a dedicated food tourism trip sometime this year.

It’s also clear, say officials, that our appetite is only increasing. Almost half (43%) of Canadian travellers are still looking to be more adventurous with the type of cuisine they eat while travelling, rising to 60% of millennials. One way to achieve this is to sample the local delicacy while travelling. In fact, more than half (56%) of Canadian travellers will try to eat more local food in 2018.

The following are the top destinations around the world to sample local gastronomy, as revealed by millions of Booking.com traveller reviews.

Some of the best places to try the local cuisine are in Southeast Asia, with regional delicacies like dim sum, noodles and pho. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that exploratory eaters also come from this area, as 57% of Asians confirm they are looking for new cuisine to try this year.

Top 10 global destinations for local food: Ipoh, Malaysia; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Nagoya, Japan; Johor Bahru, Malaysia; João Pessoa, Brazil; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Colmar, France; Lima, Peru; Catania, Italy.

Quebec tops the list of Canadian destinations for incredible local food, with Ontario not far behind.

Top five Canadian destinations for local food: Quebec City, QC; Montreal; Toronto; Niagara Falls and Victoria, BC.

Social media is filled with photographs that show off travelling and the delicious eats enjoyed along the way. Research shows that more than 20% of Canadian travellers plan to take more food pictures this year.

“Food plays a huge role in our travel choices and ultimately in our overall travel experiences. Trying the local and street food is a great way to really embrace the local culture, get immersed in communities and explore the new and different,” says Pepijn Rijvers, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer at Booking.com. “Using our endorsements from real traveller reviews can help Canadians discover the very best food destinations to taste their way around the world.”