Italy, Spain, and France top the list of European holiday destinations that Brits would plan a trip to – purely based on the local food, a study has found.
Greece and Portugal are other popular destinations holidaymakers would travel to out of desire to try the local cuisines – while closer to home, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland also made the top 20 list.
When it comes to adventurous local delicacies Brits have tasted while abroad, over a quarter (26%) have sampled octopus, and 14% have tucked into frogs' legs – while 4% have even munched on a grasshopper, according to the survey of 2,000 adults.
Overall, local cuisine comes out ahead of landmarks, culture, and beaches as the top consideration when choosing where to pick a holiday.
And 23% said their bucket list consists of more food to try than locations to travel to.
Nearly half (49%) like to eat at local independent restaurants when they’re away, while 21% will seek out delectable street foods.
However, 42% admit they get nervous about visiting a country where they don't know the cuisine.
The study was commissioned by Tesco Mobile, to launch its Roaming Food Truck, which is serving up holiday inspiration from cuisines around the world.
Rachel Swift, chief customer officer for the brand, said: “One thing that’s clear from our research is that, as a nation, we can get quite comfortable travelling to the same holiday destinations over and over again.”
European foods they’d usually never try at home are most popular among travellers – including Polish, Portuguese, and Scandinavian meals.
And it emerged that, when they go away, Brits are more likely to try local cuisines rather than seek out foods familiar from home (40% vs 12%).
More than two-thirds (69%) put this down to having a more “authentic” travel experience, while 37% do so to get the freshest foods.
And for 26%, it’s an opportunity to help the local economy, while the same number like to interact with locals.
The research, carried out via OnePoll, also found 9% will do “a great deal” of research into where to eat before they head away.
Rachel Swift, from Tesco Mobile, which is using the Roaming Food Truck to highlight the countries in Europe and beyond where customers can roam at no extra cost this year, added: “Knowing what a big role food plays in our holiday decisions, we are inviting everyone to visit our Roaming Food Truck, so they can roam with their stomachs before booking their holidays.”
TOP 20 EUROPEAN CUISINES THAT GET PEOPLE TRAVELLING FOR FOOD:
- Italy
- Spain
- France
- Greece
- Portugal
- Germany
- Belgium
- Canary Islands
- Netherlands
- Switzerland
- Malta
- Austria
- Sweden
- Poland
- Republic of Cyprus
- Denmark
- Ireland (Republic of)
- Croatia
- Norway
- Jersey
