WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FOOD-LOVING TRAVELERS?
The Food Travel Monitor is the world's most comprehensive consumer research report on food and beverage travel behavior. The 2026 edition updates and expands on over 20 years of data with fresh insights into who food travelers are, what motivates them, and how they spend.
What is the Food Travel Monitor?
What's Inside
| # | Section | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Executive Summary & Key Takeaways | The headline findings at a glance — what changed, what held, and what it means. |
| 2 | Methodology & Sample | How the research was conducted, funded, and who was surveyed. |
| 3 | Defining the Culinary Traveler | Who today's food traveler is and how the segment is identified. |
| 4 | Importance of Food to Leisure Travelers | How much food and drink drive destination choice. |
| 5 | Knowledge & Learning | How travelers learn about food and why that matters. |
| 6 | Food & Beverage Activities While Traveling | Which culinary activities travelers actually do on trips. |
| 7 | Other Activities While Traveling | How food fits alongside the rest of the trip. |
| 8 | Travel-Motivating Influences | What pulls travelers toward a destination. |
| 9 | Decision Making Pre-Trip | How travelers plan and choose before departure. |
| 10 | Behaviors While Traveling | What travelers do once they arrive. |
| 11 | Social Influences & Social Media | The role of friends, family, and platforms. |
| 12 | Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools in Travel | How travelers are using AI to plan and experience food travel. |
| 13 | Lasting Impact, Satisfaction & Recommendation | What makes food experiences memorable and shareable. |
| 14 | Personal Values of Travelers | The values shaping how travelers eat and spend. |
| 15 | Alcoholic Beverages & Consumption Trends | A dedicated focus on drink and changing consumption. |
| 16 | Comparisons by Gender | How attitudes and behaviors differ by gender. |
| 17 | Comparisons by Generation | Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers+ compared. |
| 18 | Focus on Menus | What travelers look for and respond to in menus. |
| 19 | Focus on Future Concerns | Emerging issues shaping the years ahead. |
Built from Real Traveler Data, Not Assumptions
Most reports about food tourism rely on anecdotes, marketing claims, or industry opinion. The Food Travel Monitor is different: every finding comes from surveying food-loving travelers directly, across six countries and three editions since 2016. It is the most comprehensive consumer view of food and beverage travel available, and is built to show what travelers actually want, not what the industry assumes.
Real Data, Not Opinion
Every figure comes from a balanced panel of leisure travelers surveyed in April–May 2026 by an international research company — not perception polls, anecdotes, or marketing claims.
Academically Rigorous
Designed and led by Dr. Matthew J. Stone at California State University, Chico, approved for human-subjects research and fielded in five languages across six countries.
A Decade of Trend Data
The third edition in the series, building on the 2016 and 2020 Monitors. Where past questions repeat, you see how food travel behavior has actually shifted over time.
Who Uses the Food Travel Monitor?
DMOs & Tourism Boards
Ground your culinary tourism strategy in real visitor demand. Know what food travelers want, how they decide, and where to invest your marketing.
Hospitality & F&B Operators
Restaurants, hotels, and beverage producers can see which experiences travelers seek out and pay for, and tailor offers to a global audience.
Tour & Experience Companies
Build and price food and drink experiences around verified behavior — booking habits, activity preferences, and the role of social media and AI.
Academics & Researchers
A citable, longitudinal dataset spanning 2016, 2020, and 2026, produced to academic standards for use in scholarship and teaching.
What's Included
Summary Report
Available to everyone — no purchase required
- Headline findings and key takeaways
- Top-line statistics on importance, knowledge, and behavior
- Overview of methodology and sample
- A preview of what the full report covers
- Free to media, researchers, and the general public
Full Report
Complete data and analysis across all 19 sections
- All 19 sections with complete data and charts
- Full generational comparison (Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers+)
- Gender comparisons across key behaviors
- Country-level data for all six markets surveyed
- Trend comparisons against the 2016 & 2020 Monitors
- Dedicated focus chapters on alcohol, menus, AI tools, and future concerns
- Citable methodology with data and organizational licenses available
Pricing
Pre-order (pricing is available. Save 15% on checkout with code "PREMONITOR15"
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 2026 Food Travel Monitor?
How was the research conducted?
How is this different from the GTMI / Taste of Place Global Index?
What's the difference between the free and paid report?
Can I use the data in client or commercial work?
I'm a WFTA Premium Member. How do I access member pricing?
Is hardship pricing available?
Who produced the report?
Choose the Licence That Fits You
Get the 2026 Food Travel Monitor
The same comprehensive report. Choose the licence that best matches how you and your organisation will use it.
Standard Licence
For businesses, DMOs, governments and non-profits.
- 1 named user
- Internal use only
- Share within your organisation
- No commercial redistribution
US$1,650
BUY STANDARD LICENCEInstitutional Licence
For universities and research institutions.
- For academic use
- Multiple users within institution
- Citation / attribution required
- Not for commercial use
US$950
BUY INSTITUTIONAL LICENCEConsultancy Licence
For consultants and agencies working with clients.
- Use in client deliverables
- Multiple users in your company
- Attribution required
- No redistribution of report
US$2,200
BUY CONSULTANCY LICENCEExtended Licence
For organisations needing broader internal access.
- Unlimited users
- Organisation-wide licence
- Single legal entity
- No redistribution of report
US$4,500
BUY EXTENDED LICENCEAll prices in USD. Secure checkout powered by Stripe. Report emailed within 24 hours after purchase.
Your payment is safe and encrypted
Created by the Organization that Defined Our Field
The World Food Travel Association has been the global authority in food tourism since 2001, when we coined the term "food tourism." We produced the first consumer research into food and travel motivations and developed the standards the industry uses today. The 2026 Food Travel Monitor is the third edition in that tradition and produced in partnership with California State University (Chico). It builds on the 2016 and 2020 Monitor reports, as well as other research conducted since 2007, turning more than two decades of knowledge into rigorous, citable research the whole industry can use, cite, and build on.
