EF Go Ahead Tours explains how authentic foods experiences are reshaping travel

EF Go Ahead Tours has just dropped a new collection of food-focused tours to meet the growing demand for culinary travel. As a leader in guided group travel for adults, the brand just dropped its newest “Food Tours” collection, featuring an expanded portfolio of immersive, small-group itineraries designed to connect travelers more deeply with local culture through food. As a passionate foodie and avid explorer myself, I’m intrigued by the growing global fascination with culinary travel.

According to new traveler insights from EF Go Ahead Tours, 70% of surveyed travelers expressed interest in culinary touring and 55% said they are likely to book a culinary tour within the next one to two years. This research shows that today’s travelers want authentic, local food experiences — from street food and markets to small, family-run establishments — balanced with immersive sights teeing of iconic sights. Below, Lael Kassis, Vice President, Market Innovation & Development, EF Go Ahead Tours, shares why local, authentic food experiences are driving tourism and why food tourism is going to be one of the major travel trends of 2026.

A greater appreciation for food

“The traveler today has become more sophisticated in terms of their understanding of food and a development and greater appreciation of where their food comes from, says Kassis. “This includes innovation within the restaurant industry in cities and suburbs and also throughout the countryside. In the Americas, we’ve benefitted from a bigger taste for this influx of global cuisines we can order up from an app on our phone and have delivered to our homes. Growing up, maybe people weren’t aware of Thai food or Japanese food, but these are foods that have really become mainstream across United States culture, and now travelers want to experience this food in the destinations where they were born,” he shares.

“There’s also a lot more awareness around food and its connection to tourism across multiple media channels making us all more aware of how important this experience is when traveling. So whether you’re reading about a destination in a magazine or watching a show, there’s a lot that just talking about this, this connection between food, where food comes from.”

With this in mind, EF Go Ahead Tours has built new Food Tours collection is built around three distinct travel styles, designed for small groups of 12 to 22 travelers. Options include food tours for travelers primarily motivated by food and culinary traditions, which include things-to-do like hands-on cooking classes, guided food walks, and market visits. Food & Wine tours are also available for those interested in wine tastings and visits to emerging and iconic wine regions. Within the Food Tours collection are also America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) tours, which include premium departures created in partnership with America’s Test Kitchen that include multiple cooking classes and demos.

The influence of food travel shows

“It’s undeniable that food travel shows are very popular,” says Kassis. “I think the genre was really popularized by Anthony Bourdain. He was at the forefront of food tourism, and he became a cultural icon with his shows. He still is beloved…beloved by a lot of different people where he’s in an iconic class of people in terms his impact on food and travel combined.”

Today, there’s many examples of these types of shows that are watched by a wide audience. “So, when you’re seeing Stanley Tucci visit a winery in a small town in Italy, you want to go there too to experience the drink or enjoy the fresh homemade pasta. You crave that experience. You gain a bigger appreciation for and understanding that food and culture are inherently connected. When you’re tasting something in a country that you’re visiting, you’re meeting the local people, you realize there’s just this cultural connection through food, and that there might be no better way to immerse yourself with local destination, its cultures and traditions.”

What the new EF Go Ahead food tours offer

“Our new tours combine a mix of going to classic destinations and showcasing that destination through the prism of its unique food culture, whether that’s going to Venice, Florence or Rome, which are iconic and classic Italian cities, but also ensuring the incredible food cultures within them that are unique to those destinations come alive,” says Kassis. These tours give people a chance to go somewhere iconic for its food, before it’s discovered, like the Friuli region in Italy. Tours like these offer travelers a chance to explore and connect with foods like San Daniele (a specific, premium type of Italian prosciutto, a dry-cured ham specific to the Friuli region) as well as taste incredible wines.  

“Travelers wants unique food experiences that you can’t do in the US, that are super memorable, and give you a connection to place,” he shares. In these new tours, EF Go Ahead is trying to balance that Michelin-level quality of dining with access to cuisine that is a little more….kind of famous. “We don’t lean into the Michelin star restaurants, but we do give access to them in some destinations. I think what’s more important to us is offering more accessible, local, off-the-beaten path hidden gems, family-run restaurants. We want to offer a mix of traditionally prepared cuisines, but also local food that takes traditional ingredients but actually prepared the dish in a different way.”