Good food and fine wines are a vital part of any travel experience. In recent years, they are increasingly being seen as prime travel motivators in their own right, which has led to rapid growth in the food tourism niche.

The increase in culinary travel goes along with a rise in emphasis on food throughout the American and European cultures. Today's typical tourist is much more educated than his predecessors 20 years ago, he is constantly searching for new experiences and adventures, is interested in leading a healthy lifestyle and wants to experience the local culture when he goes on holiday.

Extra-ordinary restaurant experiences, wine tasting and cooking classes have always played an important role in traditional gastro destinations like France, Italy and California . More and more specialised operators offer food and wine holidays in these countries, and also in various emerging food tourism markets like Australia, Chile, Mexico, Turkey, Croatia, Austria and Switzerland.

Most of these tours are guided; but some operators offer self-drive versions, too. The guided tours typically include wine tasting, lunches and dinners in special locations, demonstrations by chef cooks, visiting local markets and sightseeing. Special tours offer hiking or biking in wine regions, a visit to European Christmas Markets and various other experiences related to cooking and eating.

The distinguished traveller might rather choose a custom food and wine tour instead, making his own choices about where to stay, to eat and to drink. Even if you don't intend to use a specialised food travel operator you'll find countless options for making food and wine an important part of your next vacation.

After all, there's not much that beats an evening at a wonderful holiday location, eating mouth-watering delicatessen and drinking a fine glass of wine. Hopefully we have managed to whet your appetite for food travel