The fifth and final part in a five-part series.
In the past four installments, we talked about the circumstances we find ourselves in as food and beverage tourism industry professionals. We looked at just a couple of solutions to some of the challenges. Now we intend to tie everything together and provide a 10-point checklist that you can follow to help you and your business succeed in these uncertain times. Very few people today have seen this much change and disruption in our everyday lives. So, take a deep breath. We’ll get through this together.
1. WELCOME A NEW KIND OF TRAVELER
When the pandemic began to subside, many treated the situation like a get-out-of-jail-free card. Unfortunately, the industry was not ready for travel to resume so quickly. It is definitely not business as usual, and no one can predict when things will begin to normalize. Until the world’s transportation infrastructure stabilizes, long-haul travel may become increasingly rarer. But do not despair. Even if you don’t have many long-haul travelers right now, it does not mean that you won’t have any customers. We have been recommending to tour operators, hotels and other service providers to look forward to travelers who can get to you by car, train, bicycle or boat in less than 5 hours.
Accordingly, create packages and experiences that will appeal to more local and regional travelers. When long-haul travel picks up, then you can retire your local/regional packages if you wish.
2. BE READY FOR QUICK CHANGE
It seems that major events happen so quickly nowadays, almost every day in fact. If a new pandemic (monkeypox, Marburg virus and tomato flu — there are several of them brewing), shuts down your national borders, what will you do? Who will you market to? What if mandatory blackouts are implemented due to a lack of fuel to run power plants? What if food shortages get worse? This may sound alarming, but having a backup plan will allow you to adapt quickly. You need them now more than ever. What other products or services can you offer to keep your business alive? A restaurant might need to offer takeaway and delivery. A cafe may need to install a walk-up window, or to start selling its coffee as a premium brand in grocery stores. You just have to figure out how to put the puzzle together for your situation. Like business owners pivoted at the start of the COVID pandemic, you might have to take on work that is not directly related to culinary tourism, and that is OK. Keep your dream alive while you bring in cash from other jobs to pay your bills. And how do you get a headstart on emerging changes? Just like investors diversify their product portfolios to reduce risk, you need to diversify your news sources to reduce bias. Get your news from alternative, non-mainstream sources to get a more balanced understanding of what is really going on in the world while supporting local news in the process. Share stories with other professionals in your network, all around the world. Talk to your neighbors and customers. Ask yourself, “does this (what is happening) make sense or is there something else going on here?” It is prudent to have a Plan B (and a Plan C). There is no shame in keeping your options open.
3. BE THE BEST AT WHAT YOU DO
If our industry sees shrinkage among the number of culinary tour operators, culinary tourist guides, culinary travel counselors, and so on, then it is logical to assume that if you are great at what you do, you will most likely survive. People always seek the best, and you can often charge a premium for quality services. If you cannot truly say that you are the best at what you do, now is a great time to improve your skills and knowledge. Consider online training in our World Food Travel Academy. Watch educational videos on YouTube. Attend online webinars. Whether a hotel, restaurant, blogger, or photographer, the same holds true: mediocrity will rarely endure. Practice makes perfect, but even then, sometimes the pressure is too much to bear. Recently, we have seen several disturbing articles that talk about the threat of survival to the UK’s fish and chip shops, a famous dim sum bar in Hong Kong closing down, and the closure of the iconic Cafe Central in Malaga Spain. Yet at the same time, we heard about a new cooking museum opening in Rasht, Iran. Even if you are already the best at what you do, these are not the times to stop or reduce your professional development.
4. ENGAGE WITH YOUR LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM
It may not seem readily apparent to you, but working in culinary tourism, you have a vested interest in the success of your local agricultural industry. Visit your area farmers and introduce yourself. Engage in genuine conversations and learn from each other. Purchase produce from the farmers directly (or if that is not possible, see if there is a farmers’ produce delivery service in your area). Focus on promoting your local agricultural products, which may mean sacrificing or reducing some food and beverage product imports. I remember once I was on Fiji and I asked for a local beer. I was offered Budweiser or Heineken. I repeated that I wanted a local beer. After much trepidation, the restaurant mentioned that local beer exists, but they did not serve it because “travelers want European or American beers.” I did not believe it. I took that to mean “We think travelers want European or American beers.” And at US$10 vs. US$2 for a local beer, I am certain that there are plenty of people who would like to try local products, which avoids the costs and sustainability issues associated with product imports. Strive for a circular local economy, which puts the emphasis on product sourcing and management within the local area. With so many supply chain issues right now, this is a prudent, even necessary, step towards your success.
Recently a friend showed me a graphic that compared the environmental impact of a local grass-fed beef dish with a premium vegan salad. The beef dish was locally produced and grass-fed. It was served with a side of local roasted tomatoes and potatoes, with some local herbs. The vegan salad offered hydroponic lettuce, avocadoes from Peru, walnuts from California, figs from Turkey, roasted sunflower seeds from Ukraine, tomatoes from Brazil, olives from Morocco, cranberries from Canada, vegan “cheese” from the UK, and various other vegetables from Spain, Netherlands, the USA, Mexico South Africa and Australia. Think about the CO2 impact to be able to eat that salad! I realize there are other reasons for a vegan diet, and I enjoy plenty of vegetarian and vegan dishes myself, although I am flexitarian. If this vegan salad describes something you might order, ask — and challenge if necessary — the restaurant to ensure their products are also sourced locally. No dried apricots in your area? Then don’t use them! Not the season for blueberries? Then don’t import them from Chile! A great example of a restaurant that really gets local and vegan, and supports the local food system is Stem & Glory in the UK. Learn about their business model.
Sometimes consumers simply do not know where to go to connect with their local food system. We have been so well acculturated that our food comes from grocery stores, how do we change that habit? Farmers can help, as can local governments. And even tourism offices can help too. There has been much talk recently about destination marketing organizations morphing into destination management organizations. We agree with this approach entirely, because what other type of entity is better positioned to improve the quality of life — for visitors and residents alike. Listen to our podcast interview with Royce Chwin, CEO of Tourism Vancouver (Canada) about the changes he implemented in his city for inspiration as to what you can do in your area.
5. CHERISH YOUR LOCAL CULINARY CULTURE
Presumably working in the local gastronomy tourism industry, you are already attuned to your local culinary culture. More than just offering food sampling tours or cooking classes, learn about the culinary history and anthropology of your area. Can you explain how a dish evolved over the centuries? Can you explain the historical significance of a dish or ingredient? What substitutions have been made over time? By becoming a real expert on all inputs to your area’s culinary culture, the experiences you sell will be much more interesting than superficial tasting tours or classes. Remember, your end goal should really be to preserve and promote your culinary culture. And although it is not always possible to shelter culinary cultures from global influences, you may come to realize that fusion cuisines are not inherently bad. They too have their place within the history of your region.
6. KEEP HEALTH & SAFETY PARAMOUNT
A legacy of the COVID pandemic was the major underscoring of the importance of health and safety in food and beverage service in any setting — restaurants, tours, cafes, bars, tasting rooms, etc. This change is here for good and that is a good thing. We have all been to those places where we were not entirely sure about the safety of the food. Meat being left out for flies to land on. Mayonnaise being left in the sun, or a server placing their fingers around the rim of your beverage glass. We’ve all seen these situations before. Now both consumers and business owners are paying much more attention to health and the consequences of safety mistakes, a lack of care, and even food allergies and dietary preferences.
7. REMEMBER THAT SUSTAINABILITY IS NOT AN OPTION
One of the shocking developments during the COVID pandemic was the massive increase in plastic waste (cutlery, ramekins, cups, etc.) due to the presumed risk of spreading the virus. We just don’t get it. What nearly every foodservice manager forgot to realize is that cutlery, dishes, cups and ramekins all can go into a hot dishwasher with soap, killing all viruses and bacteria. Even dishes washed by hand are safe enough when cleaned properly. Chlorine and QUAT compounds can (and should) be used to sanitize and disinfect dishes. There was, and still is, literally no reason to purchase plastic or paper throwaway dishes and cutlery. Many cafes offer customers metal spoons to stir their drinks. Sure, a couple are stolen from time to time, but washing what you have is vastly cheaper than buying disposable plasticware over and over again, not even taking into consideration the impact on landfills, which is the issue for the greater good. If disposable is absolutely essential to your business model, then seek out products that are fully compostable, such as those made from corn “plastic”, bamboo and banana leaves.
8. UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE
We all get busy, and we forget. This next task might seem obvious since it should already be standard practice. Making sure that all your information is accurate and up to date will build confidence and trust with your client base, something that is immensely valuable nowadays. It will also deter complaints from unhappy customers who were unable to use your services due to misinformation. Did the mask or vaccination laws change in your area? Then update your website! Imagine, showing advice that is 18 months out of date requiring your customers to wear masks or show vaccination “passports” when they are no longer required! And keep your customers informed through your newsletters and social media too. Use marketing automation to be an excellent digital marketer. It can be intimidating at first, but you will get the hang of it. Do you and technology not mix well? Offer an internship to a local university student to set it up for you.
9. REMEMBER EVENTUALLY, THE SHIP WILL RIGHT ITS COURSE
How did ships navigate centuries ago? With the stars and astrolabes. But ships would still go off course. The ships would eventually arrive somewhere, that is, if they did not perish at sea.
Consumers are learning how to be better and more responsible travelers. Businesses are learning how to be better partners for their communities and employees. Change of this magnitude does not tend to happen quickly, although we certainly are seeing change happen faster than ever. Still, it may be a decade or more before the semblance of a normalized culinary tourism industry appears again. Remember that we are all changing together. Connect genuinely with your customers, employees and community. Doing so will show that you care. Not sure how to get started? In addition to our advice herein, check with your local government or sometimes your local tourism office. They will be able to advise you on ways that you can help your business evolve.
10. DON’T GIVE UP
With the myriad changes we all have faced recently, your first reaction may be to simply give up. We would encourage you to keep your dream alive in any way that you can. Do you need to shut down your restaurant because of high labor and food costs, new health laws and other requirements that make operating a restaurant unbearable? Then why not take your most popular product, such as a sauce, and bottle and sell it? You can give up the lease on your restaurant and rent a commercial kitchen (if required in your jurisdiction). Don’t seek to get into stores like Whole Foods. Instead, sell limited quantities within the community — to both residents and visitors. You can also sell directly on your own website using a good e-commerce system.
President John F. Kennedy once said that in the Chinese language, the word “crisis” is composed of two characters, one representing danger and the other, opportunity. While this is not entirely factually correct, a closer translation is something more like a combination of danger (crisis) with changing point. So look for ways to set your own change points as you evolve as a person and as a business owner or manager. Draw on inspirations from our podcasts, our FoodTreX Summits, our reports, as well as other resources provided by our industry. Source your news from not just mainstream sources, but alternative ones too. Think critically, and always think, what is your next opportunity?
Do you have thoughts to share about this or any of the preceding articles? Let me know. I would love to hear from you.
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Erik Wolf is the founder of the culinary 🍕 travel 🛩 trade industry, and Executive Director of the World Food Travel Association, the world’s leading authority on food and beverage tourism. He is the publisher 📗 of Have Fork Will Travel (a practical handbook for our industry), author of Culinary Tourism: The Hidden Harvest, and is also a highly sought strategist 🔀 and speaker 📣 around the world on gastronomy tourism. He has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and Forbes, and on CNN, Sky TV, the BBC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, PeterGreenberg.com, and other leading media outlets.
