Gastronomy Tourism Opportunities

The biggest ROI we ever got at The Belgadia Palace wasn't from a campaign. It was from being part of a show that spoke about the most underrepresented cuisine in India. Who knew food would bring people to the table? In 2023, EPIC Channel came to Mayurbhanj to film our episode of Raja Rasoi Aur Anya Kahaniyaan. We didn't pitch a palace. We pitched a raw visual deep dive. Tribal communities in Guhaldihi foraging from the forest. A 14th-century Jagannath Temple built by my ancestor where a prasad tradition has run unbroken for seven hundred years. Odia cuisine is one of India's oldest culinary traditions. It is also almost entirely absent from mainstream food media. This episode gave it a moment. 559,280 views just on YouTube. 10,000+ likes. Entirely organic. And then the guests started arriving,from USA, UK, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi. Many of them Odia. Many returning year after year with families. The message we kept hearing: I didn't think anyone outside our community knew this food. I didn't think I'd ever see it on television. That's not marketing. That's belonging. Culinary tourism is growing, but the real driver isn't novelty. It's recognition. People travel toward places that honour something they already carry. If you're building a heritage property or a cultural destination, stop leading with the building. Lead with what's on the table. (Full episode on YouTube — link in comments.) #RajaRasoi #OdiaCuisine #CulinaryTourism #HeritageTravel #BelgadiaPalace #Mayurbhanj #EPICChannel https://lnkd.in/g2pwMx-u

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan is investing in tourism and building on culture, not just concrete. Last week the Uzbekistan Tourism Committee invited me to tour the Silk Road and discover what the country has to offer and here are my key takeaways as Culture Strategist: They’re not just adding hotel rooms, they’re reviving the Silk Road, putting food, craft, and heritage at the heart of a tourism strategy that feels authentic, creative, and future-focused. 💰 Tourism Investment and Impact: -  $6.5B+ invested into tourism development over the last 8 years. - 130,000 new hotel beds built across the country. -  1M+ visitors in April 2025 alone — a new national record! - Tourism exports projected to hit $2.5B by 2026. - 15.8M visitors targeted by 2026. - 2025 alone created 51,000+ jobs in the sector! 🧵 Craft, Culture & Creativity at the Core - Silk weaving in Margilan is not just preserved, it’s public, guided, and thriving. - Art Station Samarkand supports residencies, contemporary art and workshops. - The government offers free rent for shopkeepers who are masters in their craft. - The upcoming Bukhara Biennial (Sept 2025) invites 70+ artists to explore food, memory & healing through local collaborations. First Biennial and a major shift in dynamics for the country and people. 🍽️ Culinary Tourism That Tells a Story - From plov to samsa to lagman, food is everywhere. Immersive, regional, and proudly promoted. - The Asrlar Sadosi Festival draws tens of thousands annually to celebrate Uzbek music, food, craft, and storytelling. - Gastronomy isn’t an add-on, it’s a strategy. 🚀 Key Takeaways for Destination Builders ✅ Don’t manufacture culture, invest in what’s already there. We are tired of the same plastic things manufactured in china, people want authenticity! ✅ Food, festivals & folklore = reasons to return ✅ Culture is not soft power, it’s strategy its money. ✅ Don’t just build hotels, build meaning. Uzbekistan is showing how heritage can drive tourism at scale, without losing soul. This is what happens when a country backs its creatives, farmers, chefs, and craftspeople and makes culture the product. #CulturalBranding #CraftRevival #BukharaBiennial #GastroTourism #DestinationStrategy #HeritageTravel #FoodIsCulture #Samarkand #MargilanSilk #SustainableTourism

🍽️ The World on a Plate: Why the Best Food Cities Tell a Bigger Story Than Rankings This graphic, showcasing the 100 Best Food Cities in the World (TasteAtlas Awards 23/24), is more than a leaderboard. It is a snapshot of culture, heritage, migration, resilience & economic identity -> served through food. At the top, 🇮🇹Italian cities dominate, with Rome, Bologna, Naples leading the list. This is not accidental. These cities exemplify something many modern food ecosystems struggle to maintain: continuity. Recipes are not trends; they are inherited systems of knowledge, protected by families, markets, local pride. Consistency, not reinvention, is the competitive advantage. 🇯🇵Japan’s strong presence highlights a different success model: precision, discipline and reverence for craft. From Tokyo to Osaka and Sapporo, excellence is built on obsessive attention to detail and respect for ingredients. Here, food is not only nourishment or pleasure; it is a professional ethic. What is equally compelling is the rise and spread of cities outside the traditional „food capitals.” Places like 🇹🇷Gaziantep, 🇮🇩Bandung, 🇲🇽Guadalajara, 🇵🇪Lima, 🇬🇪Tbilisi and 🇮🇩Padang remind us that global taste is no longer centralized. Travelers, creators, and platforms have decentralized influence. Regional cuisines are no longer „discovered”; they are recognized. Another insight: cities win, not countries. Food excellence is hyper-local. Markets, street vendors, home kitchens and small restaurants collectively shape a city’s culinary reputation. Policy, tourism branding, also urban planning increasingly intersect with gastronomy, because food drives footfall, storytelling, strong emotional connection. The present ranking underscores a critical point: food is soft power. It builds identity faster than infrastructure and trust faster than advertising. Cities that invest in protecting culinary heritage while enabling innovation are not just feeding people, they are shaping global perception. The real question is not which city ranks first, but which cities understand that food is strategy, culture and capital ..all at once. Which city on this list surprised you most, and which one do you think is still underrated?

Flying Africa’s Story: Kenya Airways Embraces Heritage Through Cuisine When Kenya Airways introduced ugali to its onboard menu, it may have seemed like a small catering decision. In reality, it represents something much bigger: the growing confidence of African brands in telling their own stories. Known as nshima in Zambia and by various names across the continent, ugali is more than a staple food. It is a symbol of community, culture and identity. By serving it onboard, Kenya Airways is bringing African heritage into the travel experience and reminding passengers that aviation is about more than transportation, it is also about connection. For decades, global travel often prioritised international standards that left little room for authentic local representation. Today, that is changing. Travellers increasingly seek experiences that reflect the places they visit, and food remains one of the most powerful ways to tell that story. The move also highlights an important lesson for African businesses. Authenticity is becoming a competitive advantage. Brands that embrace their heritage are not limiting themselves; they are creating stronger and more meaningful connections with their audiences. Because the future of African aviation is not only about connecting destinations. It is about connecting people to the cultures that make Africa unique. Sometimes, that story begins with a simple meal served above the clouds. Image: Cyrus Katontoka © Afro Magazine 2026 | www.afromag.co.za⁠

Most people visiting Japan never notice the tiny standing noodle counters tucked inside train stations. Yet tachigui soba 立ち食いそば is one of the oldest fast food traditions in the country, and it is still holding up entire business districts today. I spent time digging into its history, its role in urban life, and the people who keep it alive. One of them is a 26-year-old proprietress in Kojimachi who wakes before dawn to prepare more than a hundred bentos, then single-handedly feeds a lunchtime crowd of office workers who have nowhere else to go. She has become a quiet anchor in a neighborhood facing a growing “lunch refugee” problem. What struck me most is how a three-minute meal can reveal so much about work culture, urban design, and the emotional rituals that help a city function. Tachigui soba is fast, but it is not disposable. It is a tiny counter where people reset before moving on. #JapaneseFood #TokyoLife #UrbanCulture #JapanTravel #WorkCulture #FoodHistory #Soba #Tachigui #CulinaryHeritage #LunchRefugees #Kojimachi #FastFoodHistory #CulturalInsights #TravelWriting

Sweet Power: Can Desserts Make You Travel? 🧁✈️ **You think you chose your last trip. But that foreign dessert you ate last month—rare, Instagram-worthy, and quietly representing its nation's interests—is already picking your next one.** Food tourism is big —worth over $150bn yearly. More than half of travelers pick destinations based on food (WFTA, 2023). Turkish Delight isn't just candy—it's Turkey's $216m travel hook. After tasting it, 35% of tourists want to visit its home country (Turkish Exporters Assembly, 2023). 🌹🍡 Dubai Chocolate? They help lure you in. UAE's chocolate market is growing 8.2% each year, targeting affluent travelers who make up 40% of Dubai's tourism goals (Mordor Intelligence, 2023). 🍫🏙️ Take Portuguese pastéis de nata, those creamy custard tarts. Portugal saw a 23% increase in culinary tourists after their pastéis won "World's Best Dessert" at a global food festival. Now cooking classes for these iconic tarts are among Lisbon's top-rated tourist activities (Portuguese Tourism Board, 2023). 🇵🇹🥧 Your vacation photos prove it works. Food is the #2 most photographed travel subject, and 82% of people who try a region's food feel a strong urge to visit (Cornell University). #FoodTravel #VisitorExperience #SoftPower

In an era dominated by glossy travel influencers and drone-shot reels, Harish Bali stands apart. Through his YouTube channel “Visa2Explore”, he has become an authentic ambassador for Indian tourism, showcasing the real, raw& rich experiences that each Indian state offers. 🥗A Foodie’s Window to India🍱 Harish Bali’s journey started as a food vlogger. Today,his channel with millions of subscribers has become a trusted travel-foodogue of India, giving viewers a taste — literally and visually — of authentic local cuisine. Whether it’s Litti Chokha in Bihar, Dal Bati in Rajasthan, Bamboo Chicken in Andhra, or Sarson Da Saag in Punjab, his videos dive deep into culinary traditions that are often undocumented. He meets the locals, visits small eateries, interacts with chefs and roadside vendors,&highlights food not just as a meal,but as a cultural identity. In doing so, he doesn’t just promote a dish; he promotes a region’s pride. Tourism Beyond the Stereotypes What makes Visa2Explore a valuable asset to India’s tourism ecosystem is Bali’s effort to go beyond clichés. Instead of repeating the same touristy spots, he delves into lesser-known towns, unexplored heritage sites, village tourism models, &folk traditions. He brings into spotlight places like Orchha, Chanderi, Majuli,& Mandvi — often missing from mainstream travel itineraries. By showcasing these destinations through an approachable lens, Harish Bali has democratized tourism — making even remote destinations accessible & appealing to average Indian travelers. Promoting Handicrafts and Folk Arts Bali’s commitment to Indian handicrafts and arts is also noteworthy. Through his local interactions and state-wise travel series, he highlights dying arts — from Madhubani paintings to Channapatna toys, from Pattachitra to Rogan art —& shows how these crafts are tied to a region’s soul. By interviewing artisans and visiting cooperatives,he helps revive interest among viewers and encourages direct tourism-based craft purchase,thus benefiting local economies. A Travel Revolution Rooted in Simplicity Harish Bali’s format is simple: no over-editing, no high-budget drama — just honest storytelling. His calm demeanor, curiosity,& respectful engagement with people from all walks of life have made him trustworthy and relatable.In a country as diverse as India, his channel acts as a bridge — connecting urban audiences to rural richness. His work directly contributes to:    •   Boosting local economies through tourism    •   Encouraging cultural curiosity    •   Preserving culinary & craft heritage    •   Inspiring responsible travel Final Thoughts In the larger scheme of India’s tourism narrative, Harish Bali’s Visa2Explore is not just a YouTube channel — it is a movement. A movement that places the spotlight on real India, one plate,one village & one story at a time. ⸻ #Visa2Explore #HarishBali #IndianTourism #CulturalHeritage #FoodVlogging #HandicraftsOfIndia #sandipchowdhry Ahacatering.com

That parmesan on your pasta? There’s a good chance it has Punjabi fingerprints on it. Picture this: Rolling hills in Emilia-Romagna. Ancient dairies. The scent of fresh milk and aging cheese. Cows grazing under poplar-lined skies. And in the middle of it all… the beats of a Punjabi song echoing through the barn. Here’s something most people don’t know: Punjabis make up the backbone of Italy’s cheese industry. Back in the 1980s, younger Italians were leaving agriculture behind. Milking cows? Lifting 80-pound cheese wheels? Cleaning barns? No takers. Enter the Punjabi community. -> Farmers by heritage. -> Hardworking by nature. They took their knowledge of paneer... and turned it into parmesan. From laborers to master cheesemakers — many now run their own dairies, preserving an Italian tradition that was on the brink of vanishing. In some cheese factories, 60%+ of the workforce is now Punjabi. So next time someone jokes about butter chicken pasta, just remember — it’s Punjabis who helped save Italian cheese. Tradition evolves. Culture blends. And global heritage? It’s a team effort. #GlobalWorkforce #CulturalFusion #UnsungHeroes #FoodHeritage #DesiPride

Malaysia’s breakfast culture was officially inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024, marking a historic milestone as the country’s first UNESCO entry related to food and gastronomy, centered on traditional dietary practices encompassing staple foods like Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai, and drinks like Teh Tarik. The breakfast culture, practiced in both private and public spaces from rural to urban areas, unites Malaysia’s multi-ethnic societies including Malays, Chinese, Indians, and other ethnic groups, with the preparation and consumption of Malaysian breakfast foods becoming common and savored by all regardless of ethnic background. Malaysians celebrated the recognition with pride, viewing breakfast as more than just a meal but as a ritual and “reset time” that sets the tone for the day. The breakfast dishes are economical to produce and appreciated by people from all walks of life as an affordable and complete meal to start the day, passed down from generation to generation to ensure the sustainability of local traditional culinary practices and serving as a distinctive element of culture and identity. Beyond the breakfast table, Malaysia’s culinary heritage continues to shine in destinations like Lenggong, Perak, where local food spots such as Mamu D’ Sungei serve authentic morning meals, while the region’s natural beauty at Tasik Raban hosts outdoor festivals throughout 2025 that celebrate both adventure and local cuisine.

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐢 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐠𝐠 𝐎𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚 — 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝'𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 🍚🥘 On a recent trip to Singapore, I noticed something familiar on the breakfast menu: #congee. It instantly reminded me of kanji, the humble rice porridge many of us grew up eating in South India. Simple, nourishing, and comforting. It turns out, congee is actually the Southeast Asian adaptation of kanji. The word—and the dish—traveled across cultures, evolving with local ingredients and tastes but retaining its essence. The term "congee" derives from the Tamil word "kanji" (கஞ்சி), meaning a rice porridge or gruel. Portuguese colonizers adopted the term as "canje" in the 16th century, and it eventually entered English as "congee" . Another example: the flaky egg onion paratha that's popular in Singapore and Malaysia. It's strikingly similar to Kerala's parotta. Slightly different textures, but unmistakably related. The Malabar parotta, originating from the Malabar region of Kerala, is a layered flatbread made from refined flour, eggs, and oil. Its popularity spread to Southeast Asia through Indian Muslim traders and migrant laborers, leading to local adaptations like Malaysia's roti canai and Singapore's roti prata . These cross-cultural food echoes are a reminder that borders may divide us, but food connects us. Recipes migrate. Words transform. But comfort, taste, and tradition find new homes everywhere. Have you noticed such culinary parallels during your travels? #FoodCulture #TravelDiaries #KanjiToCongee #ParottaOrParatha #CulturalConnections #TheIndusValley