ORIENTAL FOOD REPORT

7.
29
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TRAVEL
In early 2015, the Office for National Statistics published a
long-term analysis of travel trends, showing marked growth in
the number of UK residents visiting Asia comparing 2003 to
2013: visits increased 53% over that 10-year period, despite
the dampening effect of the economic downturn. The region
enjoyed the fastest growth in spending from UK visitors of any
of the world’s regional destinations.
This is set against a wider context of robust growth in
international tourism. The World Travel & Tourism Council’s
published data showed 5% growth in the Asia-Pacific region
in 2014, just ahead of the global average, but within that, the
rising star was again Japan, where tourist arrivals increased
29% in the year, ahead of even the recently opened-up market
of Myanmar.
This has run in parallel with a reported trend for culinary
tourism, with research in the USA indicating the rising influence
of learning and enjoying dining experiences in overseas travel.
This is endorsed by The Good Food Guide’s Elizabeth Carter,
who is “delighted and astonished at how knowledgeable
Good Food Guide readers are on Oriental food – and it’s all
down to the gap year, especially mid-life/retirement gap years –
and just the popularity of travelling to the Far East these days.
These people are experiencing authentic dishes on holiday,
then looking for that exciting flavour hit when they
come home.”
Authentic Pub Company director Simon Bailey adds,
“through exotic holiday destinations and TV shows, people
are experimenting more with Korean, Vietnamese and Thai
food – it will continue to increase in popularity.”
Yet this is arguably more of a potential growth story for
Oriental food, because despite the much talked about rise
of long haul travel, 80% of British adults interviewed in our
research say they are yet to travel to any of the seven nations
we focus on in our report. Thailand is the most visited country,
but only 10% of adults have been there. It is followed by
Malaysia, visited by 7% of adults; and China, 6%. Vietnam,
often highlighted as a ‘cool’ destination for the long-haul
traveller, has been visited by only 3%, in line with Japan at 4%.
Foreign travel
Despite the growth of long haul travel, very few people have visited these nations
and yet, a relatively large number would like to, China and Japan in particular.
China
40%
6%
Which of these countries have you travelled
to on holiday or would you like to visit?
Base: All respondents
Thailand
36%
10%
Japan
Malaysia
Indonesia
23%
27%
3%
7%
47%
4%
Would like to visit
Have holidayed
Vietnam
26%
3%
Korea
19%
1%
31%
Source: online survey, sample 3051 adults, Populus data solutions, November 2015
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