Top 10 Predictions for the “New Food Tourism”
Courtesy of World Food Travel Association
This year, 2020, will bring changes to our food tourism industry. Drawn partly from the World Food Travel Association’s latest market research report, the 2020 Food Travel Monitor, and observing the changes on our industry brought on by COVID-19, WFTA formulated a list of ten predictions that you can expect to see in the culinary tourism industry. And good news – the majority of the predictions are quite positive!
- Our love of good food and drink won’t change.
- Expect to see a greater respect for, and interest in, local culinary cultures and sustainability.
- There is still strong opportunity for development & diversification in beverage products and experiences.
- Health and safety will be of utmost concern, which will create new opportunities.
- Expect to see new attention given to developing “contactless” products and also new culinary experiences for differently-abled travelers.
- Smaller companies can gain market share from leaders who are failing to innovate right now.
- Many weaker businesses will unfortunately fail, while strong businesses will get stronger.
- “Weaker” businesses might also succeed by pivoting to a new business model.
- Experiences that require more income (e.g., gourmet and luxury) will likely see reduced participation or slower growth.
- Expect to see younger people delaying their adoption of new food & drink experiences.
These predictions were discussed in depth in the opening session of the 2020 FoodTreX Online Food Travel Summit. If you missed the Summit, you can still order here access to the recordings and key takeaways summary.