TORONTO — A new survey released by OpenTable shows 84 per cent of Canadian diners would pick a leisure travel or trip destination based on its culinary scene, while more than half of diners (54 per cent) say they have previously planned a leisure trip solely because of the destination’s culinary scene. Sixty-two per cent of those surveyed have also travelled to the country of origin of their favourite food.
The “Will-Fly-For-Food” survey highlights the growing interest Canadians have in culinary travel and reports that when deciding where to dine during leisure travel, most Canadians look for restaurants serving authentic, local flavours (80 per cent), with 42 per cent saying they seek out establishments where mostly locals are dining.
“Destinations with rich food culture and a global reputation for dining are at the top of the list for Canadians when considering travel destinations,” says Ziv Schierau, head of national accounts for OpenTable Canada. “Additionally, Canadians love the local experience when travelling and aren’t afraid to venture away from the tourist trail when scoping out the perfect place to dine.”
The survey also shows Canadians like to plan ahead — 66 per cent of the diners previously booked a restaurant reservation prior to travelling. When asked to select dream-dining destinations, Florence, Italy came out on top for Canadians, followed closely by Paris, France. Montreal also made the list of top 10 dining destinations, coming in at number seven.
