Holiday is about eating out

Goa and Italy are on top of the mind among Indians when they travel at home or abroad, says a survey

India is a gastronomical paradise with a diverse array of cuisines found in every nook and cranny of the country. Our culture can be best experienced through food, which plays a pivotal role in making a holiday enjoyable and memorable, at home or abroad. The findings from a gastronomy survey by a travel site underscore the importance of food on a holiday and how Indians are only set to become more experimental in their choice of platters.

It’s always food on their mind

Findings from a TripAdvisor survey reveal that  Indians frequent restaurants often with 35 per cent dining once or twice per month and 33 per cent once per week. However, eating out is more on top of their minds while travelling, with 48 per cent Indians saying dining out and restaurant selection were important to their overall trip experience.

Seventy four per cent have either planned or intend to plan a gastronomic getaway soon to a destination specifically to try the food it is famous for and 71 per cent have plans to visit a particular restaurant.

A whopping 60 per cent of Indians intend to plan a gastronomic getaway in 2018. Goa (49 per cent), Kerala (35 per cent) and Lucknow (33 per cent) were voted as the top domestic destinations Indians would love to visit specifically for their cuisine. Italy (90 per cent), Thailand (34 per cent) and France (26 per cent) are the top international destinations.

 Key influencers are based on studied reviews. About 44 per cent acknowledged that awards play an important role in their restaurant selection process while 32 per cent have visited a restaurant because of its celebrity chef.

Fine dining is reserved for special occasions with 31 per cent  visiting fine dining restaurants only once every two to three months and 26 per cent only once or twice a year. Seventy per cent said that they turn to online reviews to seek recommendations on which fine dining restaurants to eat at.

Top reasons by the voters for eating at a fine dining establishment are: celebrating a special occasion (72 per cent) followed by enjoying the overall experience (70 per cent) and enjoying eating great food (69 per cent). Extremely professional behaviour (73 per cent) and providing a special experience from presentation of the food to cutlery used (71 per cent ) are the top two expectations from a fine dining restaurant.

Sweet tooth prevails! Almost half (46 per cent) the respondents revealed they love to indulge in a decadent dessert when eating at a fine dining restaurant. Indian is a clear favourite, followed by Italian when it comes to choosing cuisine and majority respondents (58 per cent) order three courses while eating at a fine dining restaurant.

Booking trends

While the trend of reserving a table prior to visiting a restaurant is catching up, survey results show Indians are still last-minute bookers with 63 per cent making the reservation on the same day.

Considering the ease that table reservation apps offer, 39 per cent claim to have used an online table reservation app at least once. However, this number is set to increase with 62 per cent revealing they will be using an online table reservation app in the next one year.

Top reasons for the uptake of these apps are:The convenience of booking a table on the go at the restaurant of one’s choice (65 per cent).

Offers great savings as well as the surety of a table being reserved at the restaurant upon reaching (46 per cent)Saves time (45 per cent)