Millions of travellers plan their holidays around food according to research

Millions of travellers plan their entire holidays around the food, according to research.

A study of 2,000 UK adults found cuisine is more important than culture, landmarks or beaches when it comes to picking a destination.

And 42 per cent feel nervous about visiting a country where they don’t know the cuisine.

Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) said their bucket list consists of more food to try than locations to travel to.

But 49 per cent like to eat at local independent restaurants when they’re away, while 21 per cent will seek out delectable street foods.

One in four (26 per cent) have tucked into octopus while on holiday, 14 per cent have sampled frogs’ legs and four per cent have chowed down on a grasshopper.

The study was commissioned by Tesco Mobile, to launch its Roaming Food Truck, which is serving up holiday inspiration from cuisines around the world.

Rachel Swift, chief customer officer for the brand, said: “One thing that’s clear from our research is that, as a nation, we can get quite comfortable travelling to the same holiday destinations over and over again.”

European foods they’d usually never try at home are most popular among travellers – including Polish, Portuguese and Scandinavian meals.

And the top food-led destinations travellers are heading to this summer include Italy, Spain, France, Greece and Portugal.

When they go away, they are more likely to try local cuisines rather than seek out foods familiar from home (40 per cent vs 12 per cent).

More than two thirds (69 per cent) put this down to having a more ‘authentic’ travel experience, while 37 per cent do so to get the freshest foods.

For 26 per cent, it’s an opportunity to help the local economy, while the same number like to interact with locals.

The research, carried out via OnePoll, also found nine per cent will also do ‘a great deal’ of research into where to eat before they head away.

Rachel Swift, from Tesco Mobile, which is using the Roaming Food Truck to highlight the countries in Europe and beyond customers can roam at no extra cost this year, added: “Knowing what a big role food plays in our holiday decisions, we are inviting everyone to visit our Roaming Food Truck, so they can roam with their stomachs before booking their holidays.”

TOP 20 EURO CUISINES THAT GET PEOPLE TRAVELLING FOR FOOD:

1.                    Italy

2.                    Spain

3.                    France

4.                    Greece

5.                    Portugal

6.                    Germany

7.                    Belgium

8.                  Canary Islands

9.                  Netherlands

10.                Switzerland

11.                Malta

12.                Austria

13.                Sweden

14.                Poland

15.                Republic of Cyprus

16.                Denmark

17.                Ireland (Republic of)

18.                Croatia

19.                Norway

20.                Jersey

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