Hotels.com global survey reveals the world?s best foodie destinations
Food important factor for 64% of Australian holidaymakers
Hotels.com, the hotel experts, has found food to be a big driver for travellers planning and booking holidays. In the global survey of 27,000 travellers worldwide, Italy got the gold medal for ?foodie? destinations with one in three (32%) respondents ranking pizza, pasta and gelato numero uno.
France, famous for its pastries and baguettes, dishes like Steak Frites, and Michelin-starred restaurants, ranked second among the world?s travellers. Japan, known for its sashimi, sushi and tempura, ranked third.
Failing to make the top ten, visitors to Australia clearly aren?t enticed by the cuisine. Australian respondents recommended a lamb roast, meat pie and hamburger as the must-try Australian dishes for international visitors.
The world?s top ten food destinations as voted by international travellers:
| Position | Countries | Votes in % |
| 1 | Italy | 32% |
| 2 | France | 24% |
| 3 | Japan | 18% |
| 4 | China | 13% |
| 5 | Spain | 11% |
| 6 | USA | 10% |
| 7 | Mexico | 8% |
| 8 | Thailand | 8% |
| 9 | Taiwan | 5% |
| 10 | India | 5% |
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Australian traveller trends
Perhaps as a result of Australian?s love affair with popular cooking TV programs such as MasterChef and My Kitchen Rules, almost two thirds (64%) of Australian travellers said food plays an important role when deciding on where they travel. A further 63% agreed food was also a contributing factor when selecting a hotel.
Satisfying hunger on holidays was more important for younger Australians (16-24 years old), with almost three quarters (74%) confirming a country?s cuisine was an important factor when planning a holiday versus 59% of Australians aged between 55-64 years old.?
Despite more than half (57%) of Australian respondents stating they liked to try new foods and eat authentic local cuisine when travelling, the top three food destinations for Australians included Italy, France and none other than Australia. The US, India and the UK were voted the least appetising destinations by Australian travellers.
Katherine Birch, Director Marketing, Australia and New Zealand, Hotels.com said: ?Sampling the local cuisine when travelling can be such a rewarding experience and it?s no wonder it plays such a big part in the decision-making process for travellers. Asking friends and family or joining social media networks for passionate travellers are great ways to find out the best local treats to try and where.?
Further proving Australians are serious about their food when travelling, the research showed that over half of Australian travellers (57%) spend one quarter to three quarters of their daily holiday budget, purely on food. ?A further one in five (22%) said they liked to experience fine dining when travelling.
Favourite ?foodie? destinations, as voted by Australian travellers:
| Category | Best country | Best city |
| Fine dining | France | Paris |
| Value-for-money | Thailand | New York, Melbourne, Bangkok, Sydney |
| Family dining | Australia, USA | Melbourne |
| Authentic local cuisine | Italy | Rome, Paris, Bangkok |
| Street food | Thailand | Bangkok |