Culinary tourism is on the rise as more Indians say they will travel for food

An increasing number of Indians are planning their holidays around food, according to a new survey by travel website TripAdvisor. Around 60% of Indians said that they were planning a gastronomic getaway in 2018. Not surprisingly, Goa (49%) emerged as the most-preferred destination to visit for food within India, followed by Kerala (35%) and Lucknow (33%). Italy (90%), Thailand (34%) and France (26%) were voted as the top international culinary getaways.

The results were part of the second edition of TripAdvisor’s annual India Gastronomy Survey, which was conducted online in November with approximately 1300 participants. More than 74% of respondents said that they had planned or intended to plan a gastronomic getaway to a destination specifically to try its food, while 71% also had plans to visit a particular restaurant during their holiday.

“The findings from the survey underscore the importance of food on holiday and that Indians are only set to become even more thoughtful about the food experiences they have whether they are travelling domestically or overseas,” Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager, TripAdvisor India, said.

The survey also revealed that nearly two-thirds of the respondents dined out atleast once a week, with 35% saying they eat out one or two times a week, and 33% atleast once a week. Food also plays an important role in adding value to a holiday, with 48% of the respondents saying that restaurant selection was an important part of their overall travel experience. While 44% choose a restaurant on the basis of its awards, 32% visit it for a celebrity chef.

However, fine dining is still restricted to special occasions. Nearly 36% people visit fine dining restaurants only once or twice a year, while 31% frequent them once in every three months. Last month, TripAdvisor had announced the winners of its Travellers' Choice awards for the best fine dining restaurants in India, which were based on the quantity and quality of reviews they received over 12 months. Delhi’s Indian Accent took the top spot, followed by Chingari in Pune and Villa Maya in Trivandrum.

