The critical importance of planned events in food
tourism
Food events are so important in food tourism that they deserve a separate chapter.
Our research determined that markets and food festivals have universal appeal
among food lovers, and that highly-involved foodies can be singled out by the
number and scope of food events they attend. The most sought-after food tourists
are those who also prefer the most specialized events including degustations,
trade fairs, and cooking classes.
This chapter begins with a discussion of the critical importance of planned
events in food tourism, including documentation from the research literature.
Data from large-scale surveys in North America is presented. The specific benefits
provided by planned events are both generic, satisfying normal interest in novelty,
entertainment, consumption and socializing, and benefits specific to food lovers.
Segmentation based on event attendance is documented, resulting in the identi-
fication of a cluster called ‘dynamic foodies’. These are the most highly involved
and well travelled for food experiences, and they are the ones most interested in
all the planned events and especially the more specialized, tactile ones.