Food tourism was gaining momentum across Asia pre-pandemic and will be a vital driver of the travel recovery. Having been unable to travel for long periods, consumers want to escape to destinations that tempt their tastebuds.
Before reopening its borders, Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism produced a video campaign promoting the nation’s cuisines for international visitors. Taste Cambodia focuses on the provenance of key ingredients in favorite local dishes to showcase travel in different regions such as Phnom Penh and the temples of Angkor.
In recent years, Michelin restaurant guides have expanded across Asia, and are an essential part of the visitor experience for gourmet travelers. Restaurants, hotels, and street food vendors featured in Michelin guides for Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Seoul, Shanghai, and Taipei expect substantial volumes of tourist diners throughout the year.
Although Vietnam does not yet have a Michelin guide, the Restaurant Association of Vietnam launched an interactive culinary map of the country. It invites travelers to snap photos, write reviews, and shoot videos while eating to build an online archive of regional and national dishes and delicacies.
Key takeaways:
- Young culinary tourists enjoy exploring the backstories of ingredients in popular dishes and the influences of local culture on cooking methods
- Introducing restaurants servicing Isan cuisines to the 2023 Michelin Guide Thailand is forecast to increase tourism interest in the country’s northeast region
- Healthy meat-free food concepts are also on travelers’ radars. Japan’s All Nippon Airlines recently introduced plant-based in-flight meals