Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
now looking for experiences outside of the city and want to reconnect with
rural communities and local foods.
Ageing population
Many western societies are ageing rapidly. Ageing Baby Boomers in western
societies generally have large disposable incomes and are prepared to
pay more for a quality food experience. They have furnished their homes,
planted their gardens and now look to spend their cash in a different way.
They are buying less per shopping expedition, but are going to food outlets
more often and are therefore likely to be exposed to more interesting foods.
This ageing population is looking for what the tourist industry calls 'soft'
tourism. This is tourism where there is a learning experience such as in food
or culinary tourism. They want activities that are safe, educational and with
no physical risk as in bungee jumping for example.
Many Asian societies do not have this ageing Baby Boomer factor. Instead
they have a large sector of affluent younger middle-class consumers who are
now becoming global tourists and are looking for new experiences; in the
future these will be important global culinary tourists.
Dining out has increased in popularity
In Canada and the USA more than half of the average family food budget is
now spent on dining out. This means that many people are being exposed to
new foods and better quality foods. As a result, restaurants continue to open
and expand, plus eating out encourages consumers to be more experimental
and try more exotic foods.
Farms as a fun family destination
Consumers look for 'weekday convenience' and 'weekend experiences' and
a farm is a great place to go for such an experience. Many schools are now
encouraging young people to visit farms as a learning experience to compre-
hend where their food comes from and have a fun experience in a natural
environment. This in turn creates 'pester power', where children encourage
their parents to take them to the farm and spend more time in the countryside.
The Internet
The Internet has become the major source of information and has now been
accepted by the wider community as the main search tool for discovering
new information. Culinary tourists now plan their itinerary online and in the
comfort of their own home.
