Leverage the Power of Food Tourism: Food Builds Destination Brands

Regular, short inspirations for food & beverage tourism professionals.

Think about a vacation/ holiday where you really loved the food or drink that you experienced. Let’s use Greece as an example, but you could just as easily choose any town, city, region, state, province or other country.

Before your first trip to Greece, you anticipated what Greek food would be like. You might have tried “Greek” foods in the area where you live. Those foods might have included the stereotypical gyros, souvlaki, tzatziki sauce, and baklava as well. Maybe you enjoyed these foods perfectly fine. But because you had never been to Greece, you couldn’t say whether they were authentic. They certainly seemed so to you, and you happily looked forward to your trip to Greece — one day.

But after you visited Greece for the first time, you discovered new favorites, like spanakopita, Greek salad, Greek yogurt with Greek honey, Greek wines, and the olives and olive oil of course. Everything was so fresh and flavorful, and tasted so much better than “Greek” food at home. Your senses were overwhelmed with the flavors and smells, and your tummy was truly happy, almost ecstatic. These are the images that you now currently associate with Greece. Do you remember before your first trip to Greece, you expected to find primarily gyros and souvlaki? Sure, you can find those foods in Greece, but you can also find them (with a slight modification) in nearby countries, notably Turkey and Arab nations. Regardless, you continue to associate gyros and souvlaki with Greece, along with the other foods above that you now love and miss. And now you have the memories and image of a “Greek culinary brand” firmly planted in your mind.

Still, Greece is known for so much more than its food. Sun, sand, sailing, swimming and other water sports come to mind. Architecture too, like the windmills of Mykonos, the white-washed homes of Santorini or the Greek Orthodox churches. And let’s not forget Greek history — the Acropolis and all of the country’s other significant historic monuments. Greece has a lot to offer a wide variety of travelers.

But what about destinations without famous cuisines like that of Greece, which are based on centuries-old recipes, traditions and know-how? Consider a new world destination like Portland, Oregon, USA. Portland is surrounded by great agriculture, which gives rise to wonderful vegetables and fruits. Wine grapes and hops grow easily in the region, so there is a thriving beer and wine scene. But 20 years ago Portland’s food was all but unknown. While a few of the area’s beers and wines were recognized by experts and connoisseurs, great restaurants arguably did not exist back then, and there were just a handful of food trucks (called “carts” in Portland). In fact, Portland as a city, or tourist destination, was all but unknown two decades ago. Then after nearly 20 years of product development and diversification, the consumer sampling/feedback cycle, and the influence of the television and film industries, Portland acquired an irrefutable reputation as being a food destination — today with a white-hot food scene, and a force to be reckoned with in the world of food travel. In other words, Portland’s food and drink helped to build the destination’s brand — what we currently think of today when we hear the word “Portland”.

Regardless whether your cuisine is centuries or just decades old, food and drink can build or supplement destination brands. And a desirable brand — all of the attributes we think of when considering a product or destination — is what compels visitors to travel.

What is your destination’s culinary brand? What images do travelers and food or beverage lovers have of your area? Let us know in the comments, or show us over on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

Like today’s food tourism inspiration? You can learn more about the power of food tourism at our FoodTreX London | Food Travel Innovation Summit, taking place every November on the day before World Travel Market begins. FoodTreX London is also an official event of World Travel Market’s London Travel Week.

Erik Wolf is the founder of the modern food travel trade industry, and also of the World Food Travel Association. He has served as the Association’s Executive Director since 2003.