The popularity of food tourism has been proven, a true rain blogs, magazines and attractive promotions, prove this. Travelers are always more aware through the origin, quality, and food preparation and are looking for destinations where they can taste the flavors unique to the region or country. Whether for pure food, a spa experience or agritourism, some good practices equivalent to be highlighted.
True, food tourism is difficult to define and analyze. The interpretation of the "International Culinary Tourism Association is very inspiring," looking for unique and memorable taste experiences. "
Subdivided into several niches, gourmet tourists is equally difficult to identify and therefore to count. It may be that escape for short breaks to destinations and cities known for their fine cuisine or the adventurer who goes to the other side of the world to experience rare and exotic cuisines.
Nowadays in the world, producers of the ecstasies of the table is transformed into a tourist attraction of prime importance. They are the quest for gourmet tourists, always looking for new products, fresh and authentic.
Some sociologists argue that food tourism this phenomenon represents a new paradigm in tourism. While the food was once seen as a complement to other travel interests (culture, monuments, history), these days, it becomes a major concern and, for some, a priority.
According to figures cited by the experts, a 5% of travelers make their food the main interest of travel, but 20% show a strong interest in food. It is not yet the majority of travelers, but this percentage is composed of the wealthiest people on the planet. Tourists who are worth their weight in gold. This may be experienced travelers in search of new sensations.
There are two main reasons for this global phenomenon. The first is the general enthusiasm for cooking, a phenomenon marked by the increasing popularity of cooking shows. The heads are no longer cloistered behind their stoves in the studio. They travel the world. For the television show of our Ilias Mamalakis "bite and forgiveness" is discussed as travel and revenues. Abroad, we have the example of Jamie Oliver, star of international cuisine.
Another factor playing a major role is that in most large cities in the world can now enjoy a variety of dishes from around the world. In Athens, there are more than 40 different cuisines. A paradise for our taste buds!
Personally, as a tour organizer and guide professional Cretan, I find that visitors have asked me many questions about the local cuisine. They want to think outside the box and eat in places frequented by locals.
In Crete, this phenomenon must not gone unnoticed. In the back country, restaurants have long been hungry for connoisseurs of good food and especially to discover the "Mediterranean diet".
During the harvest, roads in some regions French, Spanish, Italian or even Canada, are experiencing mini-traffic jams! Why not in Greece or especially in Crete? The initiative taken by the union of wine producers Cretan (especially in the region of Heraklion), to create their website and submit the "wine routes" is a good beginning and can lead to the "Taste Trail