“Foodies” and Their Travel Preferences

This articles examines the propensity of Australian food lovers, or “foodies,” to travel both domestically and internationally for food-related experiences. Data are analyzed from a survey of food lovers in Australia, profiling their characteristics, pertinent travel behavior, desired experiences, trip and destination preferences, with special attention given to isolating characteristics and preferences of those who had already traveled for food-related experiences. In the conclusions we make recommendations for destinations seeking to develop food tourism, in effect providing a demand-based planning and marketing approach. A principal conclusion is that they are highly involved with food, think of themselves as gourmets, and they desire a multifaceted holiday. Core experiences include consumption of authentic cuisine, learning about food/beverages and gastronomic traditions, and socializing. These must be augmented through opportunities for broader cultural, natural, touring, and shopping experiences. Recommendations are made for extending this line of research and theory development.