A new survey finds that most U.S. travelers let food guide their travel choices and recommendations. About 62 percent of respondents said they would recommend a destination based solely on its cuisine, according to a study commissioned by gourmet food and gift company Harry & David. The study also found that 71 percent of Millennials would recommend a place because of its food, suggesting younger travelers place particularly high value on culinary experiences.
Participants were asked to rank U.S. cities for their food scenes. New York emerged as the top “foodie” city, followed by San Francisco, Chicago, and Austin. Overall, travelers express strong enthusiasm for sampling local dishes: 82 percent said trying regional food and restaurants is the activity they look forward to most while traveling. In addition, 58 percent said they specifically seek out local favorites to get an authentic taste of the destination.
