London,
17
July
2018
|
00:00
Europe/Amsterdam

Take your taste-buds on a gastronomic journey.

Take a voyage through tastes, sights and smells as Booking.com, the global leader in connecting you with the most incredible places to stay around the world, invites you on the ultimate culinary journey. More than half of global travellers (54%) would love to experience more unique dining experiences when on holiday and with over a fifth of global travellers (22%) planning to travel to a destination for the food alone, Booking.com looks to take you on an epicurean adventure.

Tuck into some local culture while learning delicious recipes to take home, whether that be from your own private chef, a traditional cooking class, a walking restaurant tour, a street food market or for all the foodie lovers, a food festival. A quarter of global travellers (25%) say they would avoid destinations that do not offer a strong foodie scene, so whatever you have acquired a taste for, let Booking.com add some food for thought and an authentic flavour to your travel plans.

Live the dream with a private chef in Tuscany, Italy

What better way to savour the tastes and flavours of picturesque Tuscany than by inviting a private chef to cook in your home away from home? Almost half of global travellers (49%) think they will stay in self-catered accommodation at least once in 2018 and this is a great way to learn the local cuisine. Tuscany, a destination highly endorsed by Booking.com travellers for its local food, with almost 17,000 endorsements, so hiring a private chef is a great way to learn how to cook and prepare this regions much loved local dishes and delicacies.

Where to stay: Book a stay at Fienile Da Primo and take advantage of the fully equipped kitchen, spacious dining room indoors, plus outside on the charming terrace.

Embrace authenticity with a local cooking class in Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto is the very essence of bygone-era Japan, which makes it the perfect place to savour authentic Japanese cuisine, with local food being the top endorsement from Booking.com travellers. To take a little of Japan back home with you, why not take a local cooking class and learn mouth-watering recipes, aside from popular sushi dishes, to treat your friends and family.

Where to Stay: Travellers who wish to experience ancient Japan, can find it at the 450 years old Heihachi Tea House Inn. During your stay make the most of the Japanese steam sauna, take a walk through the beautiful surrounding gardens admiring the much-loved cherry blossoms and sample delicious traditional cuisine.

Wander from restaurant to restaurant in Melbourne, Australia

Travellers from all over the world love Melbourne for its lively atmosphere, stunning landscapes and the friendly locals. There is so much to soak up in Melbourne including the vast array of restaurants, bars and cafes along the bustling Yarra River. Booking.com travellers love Melbourne for its local food and with so much to take in, walking restaurant tours are a great way to get your teeth stuck into all of the cuisines this dynamic city has to offer.

Where to stay: Stay at the Pine Street Apartment by Stay Alfred which boasts a fully equipped kitchen, spacious dining room and floor-to-ceiling windows of Seattle’s skyline. After a visit to Pike Place Market, this home away from home is a great stay for dinner parties and cooking until your heart’s content.

Be adventurous at food festivals in Hokitika, New Zealand

For the ultimate foodie who is looking to take local food to the next level, a holiday to Hokitika for the Wildfoods Festival is a must. With almost half (49%) of global travellers wishing to become more adventurous with the type of cuisines they eat whilst travelling, this quaint town is transformed into an adventurous food lovers paradise, where travellers can feast on things they probably never thought could be cooked into a meal. From mountain oysters, earthworms, possum cutlets to even Huhu beetle grubs! Food festivals are a great way to mix amongst friendly locals and to soak up the vibe and culture, not to mention to eat until your heart’s content.

Where to stay: Check into the trendy Oaks Southbank apartments, with an envious location of a mere few steps from Melbourne’s vibrant dining scene.

Walk amongst locals at street food markets in Seattle, USA

For foodies, a trip to Seattle is incomplete without a visit to the Pike Place Market, arguably one of the most famous markets in the US. Located in the centre of downtown Seattle, the market is over a hundred years old and offers everything from fresh fish, handmade cheese, and fresh pasta to foraged truffles and dozens of restaurants dotted around the market. Walk amongst the locals and sample all of the local food on offer, and with Booking.com travellers listing local food as the top reason to holiday in Seattle make sure this is added to your travel itinerary.

Where to Stay: Drifting Sands Beachfront Accommodation is in one of the best spots in Hokitika, right on the beach. The accommodation boasts its own barbecue facilities and you can cook up a delicious meal to enjoy by the bonfire!

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CONTACT DETAILS:

For further information, contact the Booking.com UK Press Office;

Lon-booking@ketchum.com / 020 3755 6400

NOTES TO EDITORS

Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a sample of adults who have taken a trip in the last 12 months/plan to take a trip in the next 12 months. In total 56,727 respondents were surveyed (2000+ from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Germany, Spain, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Malaysia, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the US, and 1000+ each from Denmark, Croatia, Sweden, and New Zealand). Respondents completed an online survey in October 2017.

Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a sample of adults who have taken a trip in the last 12 months/plan to take a trip in the next 12 months. In total 18,509 respondents were surveyed (1,000+ from the UK, US, Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, India, Singapore and Russia and 500+ each from Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Thailand and Taiwan). Respondents completed an online survey in August 2017.

About Booking.com:

Established in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com B.V. has grown from a small Dutch start-up to one of the largest travel e-commerce companies in the world. Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), Booking.com now employs more than 17,000 employees in 198 offices in 70 countries worldwide.

With a mission to empower people to experience the world, Booking.com invests in digital technology that helps take the friction out of travel. At Booking.com, we connect travellers with the world’s largest selection of incredible places to stay, including everything from apartments, holiday homes, and family-run B&Bs to 5-star luxury resorts, tree houses and even igloos. The Booking.com website and mobile apps are available in 43 languages, offer over 27 million total reported listings and cover more than 130,000 destinations in 227 countries and territories worldwide.

Each day, more than 1.5 million room nights are reserved on our platform. So, whether travelling for business or leisure, customers can instantly book their ideal place to stay quickly and easily with Booking.com, without booking fees and backed up by our promise to price match. Via our customer experience team, customers can reach Booking.com 24/7 for assistance and support in 43 languages, any time of the day or night.

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