Most popular tourist destinations try to increase the number of visitors every year. But that’s not the case on the glamorous Spanish island of Mallorca. Faced with the prospect of losing their paradise to the growing swell of tourism, local activists have taken an innovative approach to keep its azure waters less crowded—fake warning signs posted on some of Mallorca’s most popular beaches. Seemingly ordinary to passersby, these signs bear disturbing messages in English such as “dangerous jellyfish” or “falling rocks.” While tourists are led to believe they face physical dangers, the messages actually make with bold statements such as: “the problem isn’t a rockfall, it’s mass tourism,” or the satirical note that the beach is “open—except for foreigners and jellyfish.”
Food Tourism Is Big Business For The Travel Industry
13.08.2023 - 02:17 / forbes.com / Star
Restaurant reservations are no longer something travelers book through the hotel concierge once they arrive. Travel industry executives attending Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas say the quickest way to the wallets of their well-heeled clients is through their stomachs, and it’s food and drink that often drives where they end up going.
Food writer and culinary instructor Julia Celeste Rosenfeld says friends asked her why when she first started writing about restaurants and recipes. She’s now turned increased consumer interest in eating and drinking into a business, Food Chick Tours, where she helps visitors to San Antonio explore its diverse food scene. It’s one of just two UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy in the U.S. Tucson is the other.
Rosenfeld says she is already working six days a week, taking small groups and private tours into the kitchen to talk with the chefs and learn about food history. Sometimes she has to take a couple of days off to recharge.
Ashley Roe Stevens of Trellis Travel now specializes in Culinary Tourism, a segment that earned itself a dedicated track during the weeklong confab that attracts around 5,000 travel advisors and industry suppliers.
She says her clients are often inspired by what they read, but then come to her to figure out what to do. She says, “They’ve been to Rome, Florence and Paris, and they are looking for that customized experience in a little village where they can interact with the chef, something that’s amazing, where there isn’t a long line of people waiting to get in.”
“Food travel has become a thing,” adds Rosenfeld.
For luxury resorts, the trend has meant creating experiences that enable guests to bring something home with them.
At Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, its beverage team traveled to Oaxaca to learn about blending different Mezcals, something they now share with guests daily. If you are adventurous, you can coat the rim of your glass with salts made from worms, ants or grasshoppers. You can bring home your private blend in a hand-painted, artisan-made bottle.
Resorts are reaching to the stars to create unique ways to dine. Soneva, which has locations in the Maldives and Thailand, publishes a calendar of VIP visits by celebrity chefs where guests can mingle with the top cooks. Its Treepod Dining at Soneva Kiri lifts you up more than 200 feet in the air into the tropical foliage of a rainforest, with your food delivered via zip line.
The interest in food travel is on fire with all generations. Collette, which specializes in motor coach group tours, has been launching more itineraries with smaller groups. They stop for home-hosted meals and to take private cooking classes. A trip to Morocco includes a dinner in the desert.
Rocky
Travellers will pay 10% extra for sustainable travel despite cost of living crisis
Euromonitor’s report: 80% of travelers ready to pay 10% more for sustainable features despite living costs. 41% willing to pay 30% extra for adventure, eco-tourism. Europe leads Sustainable Travel Index 2023, Sweden tops, Uruguay enters top 20.
India Becoming the New China for Outbound Travel
China’s latest loosening of its stringent zero-Covid policy, mostly for domestic tourism, comes across as too little too late, at a time when the rest of the world is living with the virus.
The Biggest Innovators in Travel and Hospitality: 2022 Year-End Edition
One of the best definitions of high-end hospitality I saw this year suggested: “Luxury is when the standard operating procedure isn’t showing.” This hit the nail on the head for the products and experiences that transcend good into great. The guest feels a sense of detail, thoughtful anticipation, and comfort but the gears and machinations to deliver it remains hidden.
Le Collectionist Raises $63 Million for Luxury Vacation Rentals
Three travel tech startups raised $87.2 million this week.
Time is up for Unprepared Travel Sectors, as China Gets Moving
If the sudden dropping of all restrictions by the Chinese government caught travel agents and tour operators off-guard, it begs the question: why?
How to Get Ready for the Return of the Chinese Traveler
On Wednesday, we published a deep dive into Chinese outbound tourism by Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia. The spark of the story came from a discussion she had in December with Trip.com Chief Operating Officer Schubert Lou at Skift Global Forum East. “The article is an attempt to cut the clutter and talk about how the Chinese tourist has changed and how destinations should approach this change,” Bhutia told me this week. “Also, call it perfect timing, the deep dive came out the day China removed its final Covid-induced hurdle for travel and resumed issuing tourist visas.”
The Funding Grind for Black Travel Startup Founders in Africa
Travel entrepreneurs know the grind when it comes to funding a startup. But the ability to get financial backing and support is said to compound when you are a founder bringing unconventional solutions for emerging markets, predominantly Black markets, that don’t fit the usual Silicon Valley bill.
This Artist Paints for the World's Best Hotels
Elizabeth Stenne’s career painting bespoke pieces of art for some of the world’s most luxurious hotels spans more than three decades.
Live Nation Enters Travel Industry With Music-Led Experiences
Live Nation is bringing to market Vibee, a music-led experience and travel offering.
Middle East Small Businesses Amp up Travel and Entertainment Spending
In the Middle East and Africa region, travel and entertainment spending by small businesses was up 49 percent in March 2023 versus a year ago, according to the Travel Industry Trends 2023 report by Mastercard Economics Institute. From March 2019, it is up 78 percent. Large businesses observed growth as well, but at smaller rates.
Singapore Has the Best Passport for Global Travelers
Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, July 19. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.