CULINARY TRAVEL SURVEY
AAA finds travelers are increasingly spicing up their travel with food-centered trips
AAA’s latest travel survey has found that food and dining are becoming a more central part of many travelers’ vacation experiences: An estimated 22 million Americans expect to take a culinary-focused vacation in the next 12 months. The survey also asked travelers whether food and dining are an important part of their travel experiences, and whether they’ve engaged in “unique dining activities” while traveling. The results make it clear that Americans are embracing culinary experiences as one of their reasons for traveling, with millennials leading the way.

  • An estimated
    22 million Americans

    expect to take a culinary-focused
    vacation in the next 12 months

  • 3 in 4
    Americans

    feel that food and dining are an
    important part of their travel experiences

Cooking class

"Unique dining experiences" on the rise

  • Food is part of any trip by necessity, so it's not surprising that survey respondents listed it as an important aspect of travel. But the shift in attitude goes deeper: Increasingly, travelers are specifically seeking out activities that are focused on cuisine, such as touring wineries and distilleries, eating with local families, and engaging in hands-on experiences such as cooking classes led by local chefs. Younger travelers in particular are driving the trend, with almost 9 in 10 millennials saying they’ve taken part in cuisine-focused experiences abroad.

  • 80% of Americans

    have engaged in unique dining activities while traveling

  • 88% of millennials

    have done so, more than Generation X or baby boomers

French escargots

Most popular foodie destinations

  • • Italy

  • • France

  • • Spain

Spanish paella

Ready to begin your foodie adventure?

Whether you’re jonesing for a bite of authentic cuisine in a Paris cafe, or just looking for good French bread on your next trip to a big American city, AAA travel agents are there with the info you need. Plus, travelers can find thousands of AAA Diamond Rated restaurants across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean through AAA Travel Guides, TripTik®
Travel Planner, and the Auto Club App.

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Information taken from “Foodie Travelers Are Embracing the Culinary Travel Trend,” April 26, 2017, AAA Public Affairs.

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