Food Events in Lifestyle and Travel

A large-scale survey of food lovers revealed the critical importance of planned events in their lifestyles and travel. Details provided in this article include participation frequencies for various food-related events, segmentation based on food-event attendance, and the differences between segments in terms of preferences for enjoyment events versus learning events. The small segment most likely to travel for food experiences, called dynamic foodies, prefers specialist learning events. The much larger segment, called active foodies, prefers enjoyment events, suggesting that higher levels of involvement translate into demand for more specialized benefits. Conclusions are drawn for food events and their marketing, and for destination development and marketing to food tourists. Research needs are identified.