The traveling public's appetite for food-related adventures has definitely not been satiated. Demand continues to grow, and tour operators are answering travelers' culinary desires with new experiences.
Recent trends show that every generation is interested in food-themed tours, and Avanti Destinations recently analyzed data to see where people are going and what types of culinary experiences they like most.
"We have more requests for food-focused tours and experiences than any other special interest," said Megan Ball, lead product manager, Avanti Destinations.
"Interest in food and cooking has been growing steadily, so we are constantly adding new products that agents can suggest to their independent travel clients. France, of course, is known for its fabulous cuisine, and more and more people are getting familiar with the food of Spain. We love opening the door to new culinary discoveries."
Avanti's research showed that cooking activities are more popular among baby boomers than any other age group. Millennials are a close second, and Gen-X also shows a growing amount of interest.
Avanti also found that the most popular destinations were Barcelona, Madrid and Paris, with different demographics preferring specific types of food or activities.
The FIT specialists determined which experiences were the most popular among each generation and found that boomers and seniors are particularly enamored by the St Germain Walking Tour with Champagne Tasting Lunch in Paris.
Millennials are passionate about the Paris Cooking Class & Market Visit as well as several tapas-focused tours around Spain-including Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, Grenada, San Sebastian and Seville. In fact, tapas tours sell well through all generations as do the Barcelona Walking Food Tour and Private Taverns & Markets tours in Barcelona and Madrid.
Gen-X favors the St Germain Pastry & Chocolate tour in Paris while another popular tour for both Gen-Xers and millennials is the Paella Cooking Class with Lunch in Barcelona.
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In response to its analysis of the culinary travel trend, Avanti has added three new customizable food-focused itineraries to its repertoire.
Travelers can now experience the Gastronomic Wonders of France & Spain, an 11-day journey in Paris, Bordeaux, San Sebastian and Madrid. The journey is a full-on food immersion, including a Paris city tour with a wine and cheese tasting; a Paris cooking class with a market visit; a private tour of Bordeaux and Saint-Emilion with wine tastings; a private tapas tour in San Sebastian; a Madrid taverns and markets tour, and a paella cooking class with lunch.
Paris & Provence for Foodies is a seven-day jaunt through Paris and Avignon that includes a Paris city tour with wine and cheese tastings; a Paris cooking class with a market visit; an Avignon cooking class with a market visit, and a wine country tour with tastings.
The Taste of Northern Spain itinerary is an eight-day self-drive tour that visits La Rioja, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Oviedo and Santiago de Compostela. The journey includes a wine museum visit, a pintxo and tapas walking tour and a private Albarino wine tour plus lunch.
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