Tue, Aug 06, 2024 page3

• Domestic tourists focusing more on food in travels

  • By Tsai Yun-jung and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writer
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  Sampling the nation’s gourmet food has become a major focus of domestic travelers, a Tourism Administration survey showed.

  The survey of Taiwanese aged 12 or older about their domestic tourism experiences last year showed that “eating gourmet food” has become a popular tourist activity.

  Although “gourmet food” ranked third as an important factor when considering a travel destination, it grew the most to 12.2 percent, up from 10.6 percent last year and 7.8 percent prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the survey showed.

  

  People enjoy a set of desserts designed to observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month at the Shangri-La Far Eastern hotel in Tainan on Sept. 26 last year.

  Photo: Wang Chun-chung, Taipei Times

  “Convenient transportation” and “relaxation or health promotion” ranked as the two most important considerations at 28.6 percent and 17.6 percent respectively, it showed.

  In terms of tourism activities, most respondents, 63.4 percent, chose “natural attractions” among their activities, followed by “other leisure activities” at 50.7 percent and “eating gourmet food” at 50.5 percent, it showed.

  However, “eating gourmet food” increased the most among the activities, rising 2 percent, while the others either remained the same or decreased, the data showed.

  

  Black tuna sashimi is displayed in Pingtung County in an undated photograph.

  Photo: Chen Yen-ting, Taipei Times

  Of the gourmet food categories, “local specialties or featured foods” remained at the top at 43.9 percent, up from 41.7 percent prior to the pandemic, while having “coffee or tea” rose from 7.1 percent before the pandemic to 10.1 percent last year, marking the strongest growth of 3 percent, it showed.

  Meanwhile, 18.3 percent of respondents said “eating gourmet food” was their favorite tourism activity, surpassing the 18.1 percent for “other leisure activities,” although “natural attractions” topped the list at 43.3 percent, the data showed.

  On specific activities, most respondents said they preferred “sightseeing” at 22.5 percent, followed by “hiking or camping in the mountains” at 14.1 percent and “local food specialties or featured foods” at 14 percent.

  Gourmet foods have become a major consideration for tourists around the world, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism’s Graduate Institute of Tourism Management professor Wayne Liu (劉喜臨) said.

  Although most tourist destinations in Taiwan are less attractive due to their lack of distinctiveness and differentiation, local dishes and specialties are enough to attract travelers, such as beef soup in Tainan, Liu said.

  As for the popularity of having “coffee or tea” during a trip, one reason is that individual or small group travelers have become more common after the pandemic, and they have more flexibility in their itineraries to focus on personal experiences, he said.

  Another reason is Taiwan’s hot weather, which makes many tourists choose a cafe over outdoor activities, as they can rest and have a cup of coffee until late in the afternoon, he said.

  Taiwan’s cafes are also thriving, on the back of the positive performance of Taiwanese coffee in international competitions, along with government efforts to renovate aging buildings, Liu said.

  That makes running a cafe an attractive option for a young person in the food industry who wants to start their own business, he said.
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