Gastronomy boosts tourism in China

When food and tourism come together, the trails of culinary exploration paint a picture of a beautiful life.

Recently, the 2024 Conference on Gastronomy and Tourism Development was held in Hengyang city, central China's Hunan Province. Hosted by the China Tourism Academy (CTA), the event explored innovative ways to integrate gastronomy and tourism, aiming to boost the high-quality development of China's gastronomy tourism.

Nowadays, an increasing number of Chinese tourists are hitting destinations to savor local flavors and soak up cultural vibes through delicious food.

Visitors taste local food in Jianshui county, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Yang Junpeng)

During the National Day holiday, which ran from Oct. 1 to Oct. 7 this year, delicacies in regions across China were sought after by tourists. According to the country's service-focused e-commerce giant Meituan, food markets were particularly popular among travelers aged 20-30.

Food and beverage spending has been steadily climbing as a proportion of tourism consumption, said Dai Bin, head of the CTA.

Both total tourism spending and food and beverage consumption hit record highs in the first three quarters of this year. A large number of tourists now choose to visit a city to savor local delicacies. Cities like Xi'an, Chengdu, Guiyang, Nanjing, Suzhou, Datong, Shunde, Changsha, Shantou, and Fuzhou have become popular gastronomy tourism destinations for their delicacies.

A 2024 report on gastronomy tourism released at the conference revealed that food has become a crucial factor in people's trip planning, sometimes even the primary purpose of their tours. According to the report, 93.1 percent of tourists consider food experiences a key aspect of their journeys.

The report emphasized that culinary tourism is essentially about experiencing food culture, which is a blend of innovative concepts, creative approaches, and modern trends. With 82.5 percent of tourists interested in the cultural significance of food, it's clear that culinary culture holds immense appeal.

Dai said tourists are no longer content with simply savoring local delicacies in hotels and restaurants. Instead, they're eager to integrate into the local lifestyle and feel local history, culture and traditions by using food as a gateway, thus adding more flavor to their travel experiences.

A survey by the CTA found that 21.8 percent of tourists view gastronomy tourism as a deep dive into local culture. In addition, 59.3 percent of visitors expressed interest in learning more about tourism destinations' food culture, while 26.2 percent were keen on learning the culinary skills of distinctive cuisine in the destinations.

The fusion of food and culture has given rise to various new forms of tourism. Food festivals have become a magnet for tourism destinations to attract tourists. In addition, the integration of food with museums, intangible cultural heritage and creative industries has boosted the development of gastronomy tourism.

Xing Ying, president of the World Federation of Chinese Catering Industry, believes that gastronomy tourism is closely related to the development of cities' distinctive industries. Xing advised the government and businesses to create new demands through distinctive offerings and cater to niche markets to create a sound cultural and tourism consumption environment.

The report said local governments need to develop gastronomy tourism routes and products centered on culinary cultural experiences by integrating food culture with local customs, ecological culture, and technology, while also promoting culinary cultural exchanges and mutual learning.