Hospitality and Related Services - Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies - page 140

tasting tours, culinary tours and tour leaders, festivals and events, culinary media, guidebooks,
caterers, wineries, breweries, distilleries, food growers and manufacturers, culinary attractions, and
more.
The food industry has always known that food, wine, and other culinary experiences are not only an
important ingredient in travel but also a powerful motivation to travel. A U.S. Travel Association study
reports 25 percent of leisure travelers say food is a vital factor when choosing a destination. Travelers
are stating that food is a key aspect of the travel experience and that they believe experiencing a
country is food is essential to understanding its culture.

Notable food attractions are the Octoberfest in Munich, Germany; the whiskey trail in Scotland;
the wine trail in Napa, California; the slow food movement

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s biennial Terra Madre and Salore del Gusto
festival in Turin, Italy; Harrods Food Hall in London, England; St. Moritz Gourmet Festival in St. Moritz,
Switzerland; and Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan.

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Restaurant Organizations

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) is the most important trade association in the food service
field. For more than 90 years, NRA has represented, educated, and promoted the restaurant industry.
It works closely with a network of 53 state restaurant associations and has established the National
Restaurant Association Education Foundation to further the education of tomorrow

' s restaurant

industry professionals. The Foundation also provides scholarships.
The members of NRA come from every corner of the restaurant/hospitality industry. Restaurant
members come from chef-owned restaurants, family restaurant chains, quick-service franchises,
contract food-service organizations, suppliers, distributors, and consultants, plus student and faculty
members who are part of the industry's educational community.
Initiatives, programs, and services provided members are (1) advocacy and representation
building and sustaining positive public opinion and a favorable political environment; (2) tools and
solutions to help grow revenues, increase pro tability, and develop employees; (3) education and
networking; and (4) responsible stewardship providing leadership. NRA is located at 1200
Seventeenth Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036; telephone [phone]; Web site www
.restaurant.org .

MEETINGS INDUSTRY

Because of the growth in the meeting and conventions area, it is an area of interest to students of
tourism. With the growth of more corporate and association meetings, there is a need for more
meeting planners, meeting consultants, and suppliers of goods and services to meeting planners. The
meetings industry often includes signi cant elements of hospitality, such as lodging and food service —

plus additional elements that make the meetings industry a challenging and rewarding option for
people interested in a career in tourism.

Meeting Planners

Professional meeting planners are involved with such tasks as selecting sites, negotiating hotel
contracts, negotiating with airlines, writing contracts, planning food and beverage, preparing signage,
managing traf c flow, planning audiovisual, performing site logistics, planning educational meetings
and seminars, developing incentive meetings, negotiating with foreign countries and hotels for
incentive travel, budgeting, promotion, public relations, and planning special events and postmeeting
tours. Meeting planners are found in corporations, special-interest associations, educational institu-
tions, trade shows, and government.