According to our #WillFlyforFood survey of OpenTable diners, you will — and do — fly for food. announced the findings of its new “Will Fly For Food” survey highlighting the growing interest Canadians have in culinary travel. According to the survey, 84 per cent of Canadian diners would pick a leisure travel or trip destination based on its culinary scene, while more than half of diners (54 per cent) say they have previously planned a leisure trip solely because of the destination’s culinary scene. Sixty-two per cent of those surveyed have also travelled to the country of origin of their favourite food.
We’ll have what they’re having
The survey found more than half of diners (54 per cent) significantly associate a destination’s culture with its culinary scene and dining customs. When deciding where to dine during leisure travel, most Canadians look for restaurants serving authentic, local flavours (80 per cent), with 42 per cent saying they seek out establishments where mostly locals are dining.“Destinations with rich food culture and a global reputation for dining are at the top of the list for Canadians when considering travel destinations,” said Ziv Schierau, Head of National Accounts for OpenTable Canada. “Additionally, Canadians love the local experience when travelling and aren’t afraid to venture away from the tourist trail when scoping out the perfect place to dine.”
Dream dining destinations
The survey shows Canadians like to plan ahead with 66 per cent of the diners having previously booked a restaurant reservation prior to travelling. When asked to select dream dining destinations, renowned food capital Florence, Italy, came out on top for Canadians, followed closely by Paris, France. Canadian cities are also recognized as global dining destinations. This includes Montréal, Québec, where travellers can dine on local favourites such disco poutine from Deville Dinebar.
The top 10 dream dining destinations cited by Canadian diners are:
- Florence, Italy
- Paris, France
- Barcelona, Spain
- Tokyo, Japan
- New York, U.S.
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Madrid, Spain
- Montréal, Canada
- Marrakesh, Morocco
- London, U.K.
Culinary Passport – 25 Fly to Try Dishes
Just in time for summer travel season, OpenTable insiders have compiled a list of must-try dishes at dining destinations from around the globe. From traditional dishes to novel takes on local cuisine, these “25 Fly to Try Dishes” are well worth the flight — and adding to your bucket list.
- Bangkok – Coconut and turmeric curry of blue swimmer crab at Nahm
- Chicago – Spinach margherita deep dish pizza at Gino’s East
- Dublin – Whole split lobster at Lobstar in Monkstown
- Florence – Tagliatelle al sugo at Trattoria Sabatino
- Guanacaste – Trilingual ceviche at HiR Fine Dining
- Hong Kong – Sunday brunch dim sum at Duddell’s
- London – Sunday roast at Roast
- London – Meat fruit at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
- London – Afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon
- Los Angeles – Zucchini lasagna at Plant Food + Wine
- Madrid – Jamón joselito at TATEL Madrid
- Melbourne – Sticky pork belly at Red Spice Road
- Mexico City – Mole madre at Pujol
- Munich – White sausage and pretzel at Wirtshaus zum Straubinger
- Montreal – Disco poutine at Deville Dinerbar
- New Orleans – Oyster po’boy at Emeril’s New Orleans
- New York City – Porterhouse steak at Keens Steakhouse
- Oranjestad – Scallops tempura at The Kitchen Table by White
- Paris – Steak frites at Le Relais de l’Entrecote
- San Francisco – Roast chicken with bread salad at Zuni Cafe
- Shanghai – Double boiled fish maw soup, crab claw, sea whelk in coconut at Jin Xuan
- Singapore – Beef buah keluak at Candlenut
- Sydney – Wood-roasted moran family lamb at CHISWICK
- Tokyo – Kobo rainbow sushi at Itamae Sushi Edo
- Vancouver – Chilled seafood platter at COAST
For more culinary travel inspiration and to enter OpenTable’s #WillFlyforFood social media contest, click here. Prize includes dinner for two at the legendary Pujol restaurant in Mexico City, a walking culinary tour of Mexico City, round-trip airfare and three-nights of hotel accommodations for two. To enter, share a photo of a delicious dish you flew for. Post it on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, or visit our blog for more options and tell us where else you dream of flying for your next culinary adventure. And, if entering on Instagram or Twitter, be sure to follow and tag @OpenTable and use the hashtag #willflyforfood so your entry is visible.
About the Survey:
The survey was conducted online by more than 3,400 OpenTable diners aged 18 and older across the US from April 14 through May 16, 2017.
