Intrepid Travel offers Real Food Adventures

Intrepid Travel is highlighting a trend towards gastronomy and authentic culinary experiences becoming the most important part of a holiday for Brits. 

After conducting research,  the tour operator has unveiled that 71% of Brits believe it is important to eat local dishes while on holiday and almost 40% spend up to five hours researching where to eat whilst they are away.

Almost 50% of those surveyed regard eating local dishes as ‘important’ and more than half believe guided group tours provide more authentic experiences.

Following the findings,  Intrepid will add to its Real Food Adventures with new tours in South Korea, Southern Italy, Portugal and Galicia, with the first departures from this month.

The new tours offer authentic experiences with a special food focus, uncovering the world’s food cultures, such as sharing a traditional meal with Buddhist monks in South Korea or sampling organic mozzarella di bufala from the source in Italy.

The tour operator says the research shows an increasing number of Brits are recognising that these small group tours using knowledgeable local guides allow for culinary experiences that wouldn’t be possible if travelling alone. This is backed-up by survey results revealing 61% of Brits have joined guided group tours because it gives them access to places they wouldn’t see on their own and more than a quarter (27%) have joined a group tour as they wanted an authentic experience.

The findings also show it is Millennials who are putting the most value on eating local dishes on holiday and experiencing culinary culture. 45% of respondents who said they were ‘likely’ to book a holiday around food were in the 25-34 year old category, followed by the 16-24 year old category at 39%. To further highlight this trend, 40% of those who said they dedicate time to researching where they eat on holiday are in the 16-24 year old category, seconded by the 25-34 year old category.

Real Food Adventures itineraries include:

South Korea, eight days
Intrepid takes a journey through South Korea’s culinary areas. Stopover in Seoul, enjoy a behind the scenes tour and tasting of the craft brewery in Busan and visit the foodie capital of Jeonju. Highlights include learning to make green onion pancakes, exploring the intricacies of the countries signature dish, bibimbap and sharing a traditional meal with Buddhists monks. The tour includes seven nights’ accommodation, all activities, plus three dinners, five lunches and two breakfasts.

Eight days from 1,480GBP (1,875USD) per person, with departures from April 2017 – August 2018.

Galicia & Portugal, six days
This is a trip through Spain’s Galicia region and along the coast of Portugal that includes cooking classes, wine tastings and a home cooked meal in Alentejo, Portugal. See the fishmongering heritage of Vigo, the birthplace of port wine in Douro Valley and the influence of African, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine from centuries of invasion and trade. Drink Portuguese wild cherry liqueur, Ginjinha, in Lisbon. The tour includes seven nights’ accommodation, all activities, plus two dinners, three lunches and three breakfasts.

Eight days from GBP1,480 (USD1,875) per person, with departures from June 2017 – May 2018.

South Italy, Six Days
Discover the southern Italian foodie regions of Abruzzo, Puglia and Campania. Visit the ancient city of Matera, which is situated on the edge of the Gravina gorge. Have a hands-on cooking masterclass preparing a traditional Campania feast and experience a dinner by the Adriatic Sea while on a traditional trabocco fishing house in Fossacesia. In Sorrento, drink lemoncello and sample organic mozzarella di bufala direct from the source. The tour includes six nights’ accommodation, all activities, plus four dinners, one lunch and four breakfasts.

Seven days from GBP1,430 (USD1,812) per person, with departures from April 2017 – August 2018.