17% of American Leisure Travelers Engage in Culinary or Wine-related Activities

First-Ever Report by TIA and GICTA Identifies, Defines and Profiles Culinary Tourist Segments

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. October 14, 2008

NEW YORK, NY, February 14, 2007. A first-of-its-kind national survey on the popular culinary travel niche market shows that 27 million travelers, or 17% of American leisure travelers, engaged in culinary or wine-related activities while traveling within the past three years, based on a new report from the Travel Industry Association (TIA), in partnership with Gourmet and the International Culinary Tourism Association (GICTA)and released today at a press conference in New York City.The future is bright for the culinary traveler market, as the share of U.S. leisure travelers interested in culinary travel in the near future (60%) is significantly larger than those currently engaged.

These travelers are younger, more affluent and better educated than non-culinary travelers.They are clearly motivated by unique experiences, reinforcing the benefits of focusing on a destination's individual environmental and cultural elements.The survey was conducted by Edge Research among a representative sample of 2,364 U.S. leisure traveler respondents.

"The study demonstrates that a sizable proportion of the U.S. leisure market does indeed make travel decisions based on a desire for wine and culinary experiences. In fact, it confirms that wine and culinary experiences are a driver of destination choice," said Laura Mandala, Vice President of Research for the Travel Industry Association.

Culinary activities participated in while traveling include cooking classes, dining out for a unique and memorable experience, visiting farmers markets, gourmet food shopping and attending food festivals.Wine activities included participating in winery tours, driving a wine trail, tasting locally made wines and attending wine festivals.

"These travelers are also more likely to take local foods and wines back home with them, providing a secondary opportunity for destinations to spread the word about their unique offerings," said Mandala.

The study also provided in-depth data about what is being called the "serious" culinary traveler, one who intentionally seeks out wine and food experiences while traveling.These serious culinary travelers are significantly different from other types of travelers, which has implications for any travel providers' strategy and marketing. Serious culinary travelers are more likely to shop, visit state and national parks and museums; specifically choose a destination to experience local culture and cuisine and read epicurean magazines, as well as publications such as Newsweek.

"These differences suggest that this segment of the market may be responsive to travel packages that focus on the uniqueness of the destination and local food, wine and environment," said Catherine Makk, Executive Marketing Director for Gourmet. "It also suggests that travel providers and destinations should work together to offer immersion into the local culture, through not only wine and cuisine but also the hotel experience, leisure activities and more."

The fact that serious culinary travelers read highly specialized publications that cater to their interests confirms that magazines remain a viable channel for reaching this travel segment.

The study showed a slight majority of culinary travelers who participate in just food-related activities while traveling, with one-in-ten leisure travelers (10%), or 16 million Americans, reporting having done so.Another one-in-ten (9.4%), or 15 million Americans, participate in just wine-related activities. About 4 million leisure travelers participated in both food and wine activities.

On average, food travelers spend $1,194 per trip, with over one-third (36% or $425) of their travel budget going towards food-related activities. Those considered to be "deliberate" food travelers (culinary activities were the key reason for trip) tend to spend a significantly higher dollar amount of their overall travel budget on food-related activities ($1,271 average trip cost; $593 or 50% spent on food-related activities).

The top 15 destinations for food-related travel visited by the respondents (in order) include: California (14%), Florida (10%), New York (7%), Texas (6%), North Carolina (4%), Georgia (4%), Louisiana (3%), Illinois (3%), Nevada (3%), Pennsylvania (3%), Washington (3%), Hawaii (3%), Michigan (2%), Arizona (2%), Virginia (2%).

Wine travelers spend, on average, $973 per trip, with about one-fourth (23% or $219) of their travel budget going towards wine-specific activities.Those considered to be "deliberate" wine travelers spend more of their overall travel budget on wine-related activities ($950 average trip cost; $339 or 36% spent on wine-related activities).

The top 12 destinations for wine-related travel visited by the U.S. respondents in the survey include: California (31%), New York (10%), Missouri (5%), North Carolina (5%), Oregon (5%), Pennsylvania (5%), Washington (4%), Virginia (4%), Texas (4%), Florida (2%), Michigan (2%), Ohio (2%).

"Culinary Tourism has reached the tipping point as a niche and an industry. Unique food and drink are the perfect attractions, especially for second and tertiary destinations that now must market more proactively in the globally competitive market," said Erik Wolf, President and CEO of the International Culinary Tourism Association. "It's also the perfect tool for economic and community development because visitors fly, buy and try new food and drink and look for it when they return home, helping boost value-added food and drink exports. Every community should be looking for ways to promote its unique food and drink experiences."

In addition to the lead sponsors, this comprehensive research was sponsored in part by the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau, Arizona Office of Tourism, California Tourism, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau, National Restaurant Association, North Carolina Department of Commerce, Ohio Division of Travel and Tourism, Oregon Culinary Tourism Association, Pennsylvania Tourism Office, Professional Association of Innkeepers International, Savannah Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development.

For information on purchasing the survey, interested parties should contact Valerie Hutchinson, TIA, 202-218-3630 or [email protected].