To Go Where Good Food Is
The motivations that prompt people to travel have long been the subject of special studies. Basically, the itch to go somewhere has been linked to the human instinct of “territoriality,” where one wants to “own” as vast personal space as one can. With travelers, “owning” a space is very closely associated with “knowing” a space, meaning it is often enough to claim a space by simply going there and knowing that such a space exists.
There are many practical side benefits, of course. The very change of environment rekindles the traveler’s innate sense of awe and wonder. Getting away from the familiar surroundings is refreshing, even therapeutic for some, as one is temporarily freed from stressful associations with familiar sights and faces.
Recently, there has been studies conducted aiming to explore the various other factors that egg people to travel. As one would have visited the same places over and over again, these places already become familiar and lose a good part of their visitordrawing appeal. There must be other facets to explore of the same places for visitors to keep coming back.
Local food is found to be a strong attraction for visitors to come. Food tourism, therefore, is the next big thing. The local food market in localities is increasingly a big reason why travelers single out certain places.
It is already happening. Many places are or have long been favorite destinations because of their special delicacies. Cebu itself is proof to this.
Many people from other places – from other provinces and other countries – schedule trips to Cebu to enjoy the taste of the now internationally famous “Cebu Lechon.” Among Cebuanos themselves, regular visits to the other towns are prompted mainly by cravings for the particular delicacies of the towns.
Many people go to Liloan to enjoy the town’s famous “rosquillos” right where it’s made, or to Catmon for its “budbud kabog,” or to Bogo and Medellin for their “pintos.” The same is true on the other side of the province; visitors go to Carcar for the “chicharon” and to Argao of its “torta.” The rest of the towns have also come to realize the tourism potential of their own unique delicacies and are beginning to flaunt these – Asturias has “budbud dawa,” Borbon has “takyong,” Mandaue has “bibingka,” Cordova has “bakasi” and so on.
The good thing about food as tourism come-on is that the craving recurs. No matter how much of a fill a visitor has of his favorite delicacy in a town at one time, after a while he craves for the delicacy again. Especially with towns that have other attractions to offer, the tourist influx is likely to be sustained.
One recent study reveals three types of food-related tourist behavior. The study notes that an increasing number of leisure travelers consider food as essential to destination choices. They search for food-related information before their trips; and they value originality, newness and locality, as well as authenticity and uniqueness in local food.
When those tourist “requirements” are served well in a locality, the visitor satisfaction is high and the visitor is most likely to come back. There’s no question about how local food attracts visitors as well as contributes to the tourist experience. Local government units and hospitality industries are sure to whet the appetite of visitors by putting forward the unique delicacies of their place.
Of late, social media has been quite a factor in promoting certain food specialties of the towns of Cebu and other provinces in the country. In effect, those with plans and the means to travel to these places make the trip. The trip is mainly about food and, well, partly about “bragging rights.”
Bottom line: Tourist experience that reflects the local, regional, or national cuisine, heritage, culture, tradition or culinary techniques is a craze these days. If a place positions and establishes its food attraction properly – even if it’s the only attraction it has – visitors, old and new, will keep coming. It’s a primal instinct… people are attracted to go where good food is.
“Come to me!” It sounds so simple. Why do we find it so
difficult?
─ from Pilgrim’s Way by David Winter (BRF)