Let us take you back to a time where tourists could wander off the beaten path and onto the rugged cobblestones of a road-less-travelled neighbourhood, exploring the bustling local markets through a delight of aromas and friendly unfamiliar faces during an authentic food and walking tour. Tasting sauces with strangers, breaking bread with locals and learning about cultures through the eyes (and tastebuds) of travelling gastronomes.
Now fast-forward to our current times of the pandemic, where the only thing we are breaking with strangers are personal boundaries and the foodies with wanderlust are now craving a cooking and cultural experience to be satisfied through digital means. It is no secret that the travel industry and its bread and butter, culinary tourism, has been greatly impacted by the extreme decline in international travel and shift in demand. As COVID-19 has transformed the gastronomic tourism industry globally, businesses are either pivoting, looking to pivot, or launching new offerings; and technology is featuring across these changes in different ways. From adapting food tourism experiences in line social distancing requirements to the anticipation of government support, there are a few ways the culinary tourism market can sow seeds in the consumer landscape of the future.
From the inside, out
As the cultural trend for destination brand identity is re-evaluated by businesses internationally, it is important for stakeholders in the gastronomic tourism industry to address technological transformation as a key pillar and extend their existing models to reflect this shift. New research shows that the impact of moving food tourism to digital space also calls for us to examine the current situation and explore research and practical consequences in the post-COVID future. As tourism has proven to be resilient through past events, it is predicted this is a key reflection of the future and there is also anticipation for government support to the sector; assisting in the rebuild and aligned with technology’s new role in the industry.
