THE RISE OF FOOD TOURISM. February 19, 2015

Transcription

1 THE RISE OF FOOD TOURISM February 19, 2015

2 EVERY TOURIST HAS one THING IN COMMON

3 THEY EAT AT LEAST ONCE A DAY BUT MORE LIKELY THREE, FOUR or FIVE TIMES A DAY.

4 DEFINING FOOD TOURISM Any tourism experience in which one learns about, appreciates, and/or consumes food and drink that reflects the local, regional or national cuisine, heritage, culture, tradition or culinary techniques. We ve evolved from culinary tourism to fullon participatory travel where tourists get up close and personal with chefs, the products and the process. It s travel that embraces a more genuine, authentic experience. Peter Greenberg, CBS News Travel Editor

5 DEFINING AGRITOURISM Farm visits: enjoyment, education, activities Food tourism at the source Method of generating revenue and diversifying farm offerings Tourists looking to re-connect with natural environment and their food systems

6 DEFINING LOCAL Local = ingredients from the region Ingredients from Ontario Artisanal production done within the region, incorporating local ingredients (e.g. craft beers, bread, chocolate)

7 WHAT DOES FOOD TOURISM INCLUDE? Accommodations Attractions Beverage Producers Culinary Schools Farmers Markets Festivals & Events Growers & Producers Restaurants Retailers Tours

8 FOOD TOURISM: ECONOMIC IMPACT 77% of leisure travellers in the US are food tourists - Unique destination specific travel experiences ñ 11% over the seven years (Source: Mandala Research 2013 American Culinary Traveler Report) Over one third of tourist spending worldwide is devoted to food (Source: UNWTO Global Report on Food Tourism) Eating local food has a 3:1 impact on local economy (Source: Local Food Plus) Ontario farmers markets have an economic impact of 2.3B (Source: Farmers Markets Ontario) 60-70% of visitors to farmers markets visit other neighboring businesses (Source: Farmers Markets Ontario)

9 GIVING THE MOTIVATIONS PEOPLE WHAT OF FOOD THEY TOURISTS WANT

10 CHARACTERISTICS OF A FOOD TOURIST Interested in origin of products Above avg. expenditure Value goes beyond price Adventurous Highly loyal Masters of social media Want the VIP treatment Look for authentic narratives

11 SHOW & TELL TASTE 81% of respondents indicated ability to try locally sourced products was important when choosing a culinary activity TOUR 43% of respondents look for guided tours when choosing a destination TAKE AWAY 67% of respondents indicated option to take home products was important when choosing a culinary activity 2013 Ryerson University: Profile of the Ontario Culinary Tourist

12 FOOD TOURISTS AREN T JUST COMING FOR A MEAL... ACTIVITY PARTICIPANTS IN ANY FOOD ACTIVITY % PARTICIPANTS IN NO FOOD ACTIVITY % VISIT HISTORIC SITES OUTDOOR ADVENTURE GO TO THE THEATRE VISITING GARDENS GOLFING GO TO MUSIC FESTIVAL GO TO A SPA Source: Tams Study 2006

13 FOOD TOURISTS ARE GETTING YOUNGER F&B is the biggest deciding travel factor for Canadians (2012 TIAC/ Deloitte survey) 83% of Canadian travelers under 45 share their experiences through social media (2012 TIAC/Deloitte survey) Annual purchasing power of Millennials est. at $170B (ComScore) By 2020, Millennials will represent HALF of all global travel spending ( The Rise of the Millennial Traveler ) For many young chowhounds, their edible adventures involve a mix of high and low, exotic and local, tough-to-book it restaurants and undiscovered gems The Globe & Mail, August 2013

14 MILLENNIALS DEMAND AUTHENTIC, LOCAL & EXPERIENTIAL ONE THING IS CERTAIN: MILLENNIALS RELATIONSHIP TO FOOD IS SPECIAL. THEY WANT IT TO BE AUTHENTIC, THEY WANT TO KNOW HOW IT WAS PRODUCED, AND THEY WANT IT TO BE A SHARED EXPERIENCE FORBES WRITER STEPHANIE DENNING DRIVING VALUES: HAPPINESS, PASSION, DIVERSITY, SHARING AND DISCOVERY

15 And what are they looking for? Live like a local: experiential, immersive travel experiences Co-creation, collaboration, curation Content, constant communication Information about where their food is coming from Recommendations from peers User generated content TRENDING CHARACTERISTICS OF MILLENNIAL TRAVELERS Communal tables Farm-to-table experiences, small batch, artisanal products Craft spirits

16 Sharing our Experiences THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY A Flash of Culinary Tourism: Understanding the Influences of Online Food Photography on People s Travel Planning Process on Flickr

17 ATTRACTING MILLENIALS WHICH THEN ATTRACTS THE MASS MARKET According to SKIFT The Rise of the Millennial Traveler report, attract more millennial travelers by 1. creating a local travel blog 2. paying attention to user reviews 3. crowdsourcing social media content 4. investing in better media communications and imagery 5. collaborating with millennials

18 WELCOMING THE FOOD TOURIST

19 THE CHECKLIST: INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES TELLING THE LOCAL STORY o Do we serve/sell local food and drink? o Do we promote where they are sourced from? o Do we offer a unique taste of place that is an authentic expression of our region? o Do we call out specific growers and producers that we work with? o Do we promote our partnerships within the local food community? WELCOMING THE VISITOR o Do we have a welcoming retail space for visitors? o Do we post our hours and adhere to them? o Do we have visible signage and route markers to direct visitors? o Do we have an attractive website, with a map, directions and high quality photos?

20 THE CHECKLIST: INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES ENRICHING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE o Do we offer tastings and samplings? o Do we offer any classes or entertainment? o Do we host any tours? Do we participate as a stop on a tour? Do we promote it? o Do we host any events on-site? o Do we participate in off-site events and promote this involvement? o Is our staff knowledgeable and passionate about our products? And our local food story? o Do we communicate our story and heritage with pride? KEEPING VISITORS ENGAGED o Are we active on social media? Review sites? o Do we have a newsletter? Blog? o Do we encourage our customers to engage? o Do we offer incentives, contests or promotions? When it comes to [spending] money, experiences trump things 2014 Eventbrite Report

21 CREATING PARTNERSHIPS

22 Types of Partnerships SPONSORSHIP (MARKETING) INTER- BUSINESS INTER- ORGANIZATION

23 WHY PARTNER? Increase awareness Leverage expertise Richer storytelling Add credibility Fill in gaps Pool resources Avoid overlap Spark innovation Share responsibility Share/expand audience Support food tourism value chain

24 CO-CREATION, COLLABORATION AND CURATION Food tourists look for products and experiences that involve multiple partners Pop up dinners, chef collaborations Exclusivity you can t get this taste anywhere else Collaboration between craft brewers listed as a top craft beer trend for 2015 USA Today) Become the expert, both on your product and somebody else s product. More than ever, collaboration for the culinary sector is super, super important. Johnny Roberts, 2014 Cumberland Area Tourism Conference

25 BEST PRACTICE: Silversmith Brewing Craft brewery in 1894 NOTL church No commercial kitchen Partnerships to create retail products Partnerships with NOTL food trucks

26 QUESTIONS? THANKS A BUNCH! DANIELLE BRODHAGEN Director of Product Development (416) ontarioculinary.com