‘Biteseeing’ is the new sightseeing: 79% of travelers say regional food is now a #1 travel priority beating cultural landmarks

BERLIN, November 2026 — Food first, landmarks later, that’s the new itinerary of European travelers. New research from GetYourGuide shows that destination food has overtaken sightseeing as the most popular activity for planning trips. GetYoutGuide has the top ingredients worth traveling for — ranked by travelers.Recent GetYourGuide data shows that bookings of food experiences on the platform have grown 47% year on year — outpacing cultural and historical sites (+16%). The popularity is underlined by survey results carried out on behalf of GetYourGuide:

• Cornetti before Colosseum: 3 in 4 people surveyed (79%) said they would specifically travel for regional food experiences — higher than any other travel priority, including cultural and historical experiences at 57%.
  
  
• Next level Biteseeing: More than half of those surveyed (57%) said they would travel for one specific ingredient. The UK leads that willingness at 66%, followed by Italy (57%), France (53%) and Germany (51%).
  
  
• Food experiences, but make it educational: 76% said they’re interested in tastings, and 58% in visiting a food museum, pointing to food curiosity as an experience in its own right, not just a meal between activities.
  
  
• Souvenirs to serve up at home: Grocery stores, markets and food stalls are the clearest draw of all food experiences, with 84% interest.

What our experts say

"At GetYourGuide we’ve seen bookings of food experiences grow 47% year on year — outpacing cultural and historical sites. Think of it as cornetti first, Colosseum later. At the same time, when more than half of travelers say they’d fly somewhere for a single ingredient, that’s not a food trend — that’s a cultural shift. People aren’t just eating in between sightseeing anymore — they want to forage, ferment, and understand where a dish comes from. The kitchen has become the new museum.”
- Francesca De Falco, GetYourGuide regional manager for Italy.

“Most visitors who come to my experience are initially attracted by vanilla as an exotic and precious ingredient. But they soon discover the story behind it and leave feeling enriched by what they have learned. Seeing the plant, meeting the person behind it, and understanding the ecology and years of effort involved make the story of an ingredient truly tangible. The fact that the experience is rooted in sustainability and offered in small groups makes it all the more meaningful.”
- Pascal Beckers, Tenerife vanilla cultivation tour.

‍GetYourGuide’s 10 ingredients worth travelling for, ranked by travelers

Olives: Corfu, Greece Olive Oil Experience From the old stone mill to the award-winning press, ending with a tasting that will ruin supermarket oil for you forever.

Truffles: Florence, Italy San Gimignano truffle hunt One full day, one Tuscan family and one very talented dog. Rounded off with handmade pasta.

Vanilla: Tenerife, Spain Vanilla cultivation in the Canaries If Madagascar feels too far, Tenerife has you covered with the only vanilla growing in the Canaries.

Saffron: Abruzzo, Italy Saffron harvest They call it the red gold of Abruzzo, and once you’ve crouched in a field of purple crocus at sunrise and pulled the crimson threads by hand, you’ll understand the price tag.

Tomatoes: Santorini, Greece Visit Santorini’s old tomato factory Not all tomatoes need a salad. At Santorini’s old tomato factory, you’ll discover how a tiny cherry tomato powered an entire island’s economy.

Sichuan peppercorns: Chengdu, China Sichuan Cuisine Museum The tingle is real. Learn about the history of Sichuan peppercorns and the region's famed "mala" (numbing and spicy) flavor profile.

Sardines: Setúbal, Portugal Local market & canned sardines factory tour From net to tin to tiny works of art on the label: Setúbal has been canning sardines the same way for generations, and they’ll show you how.

Salt: Lanzarote, Spain Janubio Salt Flats Guided Tour Possibly the most ordinary ingredient in your kitchen, salt looks different after you’ve watched it being raked from volcanic rock pools.

Wasabi: Azumino, Japan Wasabi Farm Walking Tour with lunch Taste the difference between the horseradish paste with your supermarket sushi and the real-deal wasabi after standing in the paddy where it grows.

Capers: Salina, Italy Salina Capers Experience A walk through a volcanic farm on the greenest island in the Aeolians will quickly explain why Salina’s capers are some of the best in the world.

Press Contact
Francesca De Falco and Pascal Beckers are available for interview, please reach out to press@getyourguide.com

Photos: Available for download here.

‍
About GetYourGuide
GetYourGuide is a leading global online marketplace to discover and book experiences worth traveling for. Travelers can use GetYourGuide to find things to do in more than 18,000 cities, including tours from local experts, exclusive access to must-see attractions, as well as immersive bucket-list experiences. More than 50,000 supply partners leverage GetYourGuide’s easy-to-use platform to grow their businesses, offering 200,000 experiences to travelers around the world. For more information, follow GetYourGuide on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok and visit getyourguide.com.

About the data

GetYourGuide’s micro-survey was conducted online by Bounce Insights, a leading agile research platform, in October 2026, among 1,252 adults aged 18 to 64 across the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy.