North West Food Tourism-What's it all about?
Food tourism is one of the new buzz terms of the 21st century, but what’s the point in it if we don’t even know what it means and aren’t aware of its impact? Everyone visiting the North West on holiday – or even just on a day visit – has to eat. But how important is eating and drinking in the context of the rest of their stay, and what are we doing in the North West to make sure it’s central to the visitor experience?
Most people can remember a holiday scenario in which they spent all day stuck in the car, hot and bothered, jaded by the incessant traffic jams, not far from throttling a bad tempered loved one but clinging onto that last shred of sanity on the promise of a slap-up chippy meal upon arrival…only to get there and be bitterly disappointed by the food on offer, or – worse still – find that everything is closed. Conversely, there are those magic moments when, just when you were about to give up hope and call the whole thing off, you get lost down a back road, stumble across a little pub and end up having one of the tastiest and most memorable meals of a lifetime.
Food tourism is about helping visitors to uncover these gems – not just leaving it to chance that they will find them by themselves. It is about regional distinctiveness – championing our fantastic local produce and telling the story of its journey to our plates, so that first time visitors go away feeling a real connection with the area and are eager to come back for seconds.
Increasing the prevalence of local and regional foods in our shops and on our menus offers immediate and direct benefits to our local economy. Farmers, producers, suppliers, restaurateurs and hoteliers should be engaging with each other – and the tourism industry – to improve food information available to visitors and enable informed choice. The clever marketing of signature dishes, local events, hero products, food ambassadors and award-winning venues results in increased visitor spend, sustainable, economic development and – most importantly – satisfied customers.
All visitors to this region have every reason to expect a world class food offering when they get here. We have all the tools in order to deliver this, from unique and delicious local produce, to passionate suppliers and service providers, a rich variety of venues, attractions and events. Combined with the backdrop of some of the most vibrant urban landscapes and stunning, rural scenery in the UK, we’ve got it all on a plate…now, service, please!