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I’ll admit, whenever I’m planning a trip — Europe or beyond — my first thought is, ‘where am I going to eat?’
As a food lover, I live for traditional street grub or chowing down on a country’s national dish, whatever that might be. I’ll try anything once.
But while tastes and smells obviously matter, there’s much more to travelling for good scran.
In Grenada, I cooked with a local chef at his home, using seasonal ingredients from his farm. In Austria, I tucked into a ‘jause’ after hiking in the Alps. In Finland, I brewed coffee during a wilderness class.
After each experience, I left with recipes, stories, and memories that will last a lifetime.
I truly believe food, drink, and hospitality are some of the best ways to connect with people from different places, cultures, and societies. It’s universal, and the hill I will die on.
So, when I heard that 82% of Brits now say they would specifically travel for regional food experiences, putting culinary exploration ahead of cultural and historical sightseeing, I was intrigued.
It’s all thanks to new data from GetYourGuide, who have coined the travel trend ‘biteseeing.’ Clever.
What is ‘biteseeing?’
Research shows that destination food has overtaken sightseeing as the most popular activity for planning trips. That means food first, landmarks later.
The appetite for food-led travel is also reflected in booking behaviour, with data showing food experience bookings have grown 47% year on year, compared with 16% for cultural and historical sites.
As many as three-quarters of tourists now qualify as culinary travellers, too, according to The 2026 Food Travel Monitor. It rates the importance of food and drink at an all-time high of 8.2 out of 10.
Laida Nowell, co-founder of Croatian Villa Holidays, agrees. Born and raised in Croatia, she tells Metro that food is the truest way to experience a destination, as it can’t be separated from the people, land and seasons behind it.
‘When you eat and drink what is grown a few hundred metres from your table, you start to understand what the landscape gives and what the people who farm it have chosen to do with it.
‘Sit down with someone and their produce, and you will learn more about the destination than you would from any guidebook.’
How is food shaping travel?
Christy Palma is a licensed tour leader, culinary guide, certified olive oil sommelier, and founder of Tuscany Flavor.
In the travel industry, Christy explains that ‘authenticity is becoming the new luxury,’ and this applies to food just as much as other travel experiences.
‘Travellers are increasingly looking for genuine experiences that are rooted in a place and its traditions, rather than ones that feel commercial, touristy, or easily accessed.’
Food, in general, is also becoming increasingly industrialised, processed, and transported globally. As a result, Christy says people are gaining a greater appreciation for local, seasonal food produced with care.
‘They don’t just want to know where their food comes from but from who and why it is special.’
Connecting with a place and its culture
This brings Christy to her next point: Food is no longer simply about eating. It has become an experience in itself.
People aren’t searching for the best restaurant to try local fresh truffles or taste extra virgin olive oil. They want to go truffle hunting in the woods with the hunter and his dog or get their hands dirty in the olive oil harvest on a family farm.
Funnily enough, GetYourGuide’s research cites truffles and olives as two of ‘biteseeing’s’ most popular ingredients. 47% of Brits say they are willing to travel for the former, while 50% will hop on a plane for the latter.
Laida specifically acknowledges olive-oil tourism. Described by researchers as an emerging tourism type, developing especially around the Mediterranean, visitors want to learn about and enjoy the world of olives and olive oil.
And the best place to try it, depending on who you ask?
‘Istria, in Croatia, is where I’d send anyone who wants to understand olive oil rather than just buy a bottle of it,’ says Laida. ‘The Romans valued the oil from this peninsula, and family estates still press it today. You can walk through the grove in the morning, watch the olives pressed and taste the oil that afternoon, still green and peppery.’
For Christy, it’s Tuscany, who says that ‘once travellers taste the fresh locally produced olive oil, they have a revelation.’
‘Ultimately, I think that travellers are beginning to understand that when they support local farmers and producers they are helping to preserve the identity and heritage of a destination.’
To Christy, that is one of the most important aspects of culinary travel.
So, why now?
Of course, while ‘biteseeing’ is a catchy name, the trend behind it is nothing new.
Michael O’Regan, tourism researcher at Glasgow Caledonian University, tells Metro that food and wine tourism has been established for decades. It’s just that the UK is now catching up.
‘It’s part of the experience economy. Travellers increasingly want to take part rather than just look,’ Michael says.
‘A landmark can be photographed in a few seconds, but food has to be tasted, shared and often learned. Social media rewards that, and after the pandemic people value travel that feels personal and local.’
Following an ingredient takes you to farms, markets, vineyards and kitchens. Michael explains that this puts you in front of the people who make it, which is the local connection many travellers say landmarks don’t give them.
Marcelle Hoff, co-founder of Expressions Holidays, agrees that food and drink have always been an ‘intrinsic part of leisure travel.’
That being said, she has noticed an increased interest in food-related experiences recently, even among clients who would typically book a beach holiday.
‘Truffle hunting in Piemonte, for example, is increasingly popular, particularly when combined with private guided visits to wine estates.
‘We are also seeing cookery become something the whole travelling party wants to do together, rather than one person’s interest.’
Michael says that, for most travellers, food adds to the sights rather than replacing them.
‘So, it might just mean sights get more engaging, offer more engaging activities and better food as well.’
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