From Street Food to Michelin Star Quality, 2018 is Set to be a Foodie Adventure According to Booking.com Research

NEW YORK, November 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Food and travel go together like peanut butter and jelly, and it seems our appetite for a foodie adventure will be even bigger in 2018 with four in 10 travelers 41%) planning to incorporate new food and drink destinations into their  travel plans next year (compared to 29% in 2017).

Booking.com, the global leader in connecting people with the widest selection of incredible places to stay, has analyzed the views of 19,000 travelers from 26 countries around the world and combined this with their own expert insights to reveal the foodie trends that will tickle our taste buds in 2018.

The research reveals that local food will be the biggest draw in 2018 with two thirds (64%) of travelers wanting to eat more local food. Food will even be a deciding factor when it comes to travel, with one in five (22%) planning to travel to a destination for the food alone and a quarter (25%) actively avoiding destinations that don't have a strong 'foodie' scene.

The potential of technology will continue to seep into our food-filled adventures. Nearly three in ten (29%) travelers will choose a destination based on local restaurant reviews whilst nearly a third (31%) of travelers are planning to take even more pictures of food while travelling in 2018 so they can post these on social media to give their friends mouth-watering food envy!

The findings also show:

• Half (51%) of travelers will be more likely to seek out local street food markets - with that in mind the top destinations endorsed for 'street food' according to Booking.com travelers are Bangkok, Thailand; Taipei, Taiwan; Hanoi, Vietnam; Istanbul, Turkey and George Town, Malaysia^[i].
• Others are after a more award-winning meal, with one in five (23%) seeking out more Michelin starred restaurants for 2018. If this takes your fancy why not take a trip to one of the top destinations endorsed for 'fine dining' by Booking.com travelers - Rome, Italy; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Paris, France; Sao Paulo, Brazil and London, Great Britain^[ii].
• It's not just about the taste, it's the experience that will count - travelers will be wanting to embrace all food has to offer with nearly half (49%) saying they will be more adventurous with the type of cuisine they eat while travelling and 54% wanting to experience more unique dining experiences when on holiday

Whether you prefer high end gourmet cuisine, local street food, exotic dishes or something truly bizarre, sampling the local delicacies are a great way to discover a new destination.

NOTES TO EDITORS 

Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a sample of adults who have taken a trip in the last 12 months/plan to take a trip in the next 12 months. In total 18,509 respondents were surveyed (1,000+ from the UK, US, Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, India, Singapore and Russia and 500+ each from Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Thailand and Taiwan). Respondents completed an online survey in August 2017.

About Booking.com 

Established in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com B.V. has grown from a small Dutch start-up to one of the largest travel e-commerce companies in the world. Part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN), Booking.com now employs more than 15,000 employees in 199 offices in 70 countries worldwide.

With a mission to empower people to experience the world, Booking.com invests in digital technology that helps take the friction out of travel. At Booking.com, we connect travelers with the world's largest selection of incredible places to stay, including everything from apartments, vacation homes, and family-run B&Bs to 5-star luxury resorts, tree houses and even igloos. The Booking.com website and mobile apps are available in over 40 languages, offer over 1.4 million properties, and cover more than 120,000 destinations in 227 countries and territories worldwide.

Each day, more than 1.5 million room nights are reserved on our platform. So whether travelling for business or leisure, customers can instantly book their ideal accommodation quickly and easily with Booking.com, without booking fees and backed up by our promise to price match. Via our customer experience team, customers can reach Booking.com 24/7 for assistance and support in 43 languages, any time of the day or night.

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i. Top endorsed destinations for street food by Booking.com travellers 

ii. Top endorsed destinations for fine dining by Booking.com travellers 

For further information, contact the Booking.com US Press Office;

Lauren Hanafin, [email protected]

SOURCE Booking.com