Planning a foodcation?

These are the world’s top culinary cities

If you tend to focus your travel plans around food, you’re not alone. More travellers than ever are looking for ways to experience local cuisine and food culture. And they’re seeking locals to guide them. From feasting on yakitori in Tokyo or pizza by the slice in Rome, food tours are the fastest growing activity among travellers.

To highlight this trend, TripAdvisor mined its booking data for a new list of the 10 best food cities and food tours in the world. According to the travel site, food experiences were up 61 per cent last year when compared to 2016, and continue to dominate.

European destinations are most prevalent – with three Italian cities, two Spanish and one French making the top 10. The U.S. took two spots, with New Orleans and New York City garnering mentions. Food meccas Tokyo, Japan and Bangkok, Thailand rounded out the list.

“Travellers are increasingly interested in getting local insight on their destination, and food tours and cooking classes are a great way to do that,” TripAdvisor spokesperson Laurel Greatrix reportedly said. “Coming home with a local recipe or a new favourite restaurant is the best souvenir.”

Check out the full list of the best food cities and most-booked experiences:

1. Rome, Italy

❚ Rome Food Tour by Sunset around Prati District

2. Florence, Italy ❚ Cooking Class and Lunch at a Tuscan Farmhouse with Local Market Tour

3. Paris, France

❚ Paris Food Tour: Taste of Montmartre

4. Barcelona, Spain ❚ Interactive Spanish Cooking Experience in Barcelona

5. New Orleans, U.S.

❚ New Orleans Food Walking Tour of the French Quarter

6. New York City, U.S. ❚ Best of Brooklyn Half-Day Food and Culture Tour

7. Venice, Italy

❚ Venice Food Tour: Cicchetti and Wine

8. Madrid, Spain ❚ Madrid Tapas and Wine Tasting Tour

9. Tokyo, Japan

❚ Tokyo by Night: Japanese Food Tour

10. Bangkok, Thailand ❚ Bangkok Food Tour