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Food tourism on the rise: what the new studies reveal — and why it's an opportunity for olive oil tourism in Trás-os-Montes

Azeite a Norte
5 hours ago
2 min read

Several recent travel-trend studies all point the same way: younger travellers plan their holidays around local flavours and authentic experiences. It is, point for point, the proposition Azeite a Norte has been creating and structuring across Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro — bringing producers, mills, tastings, routes and experiences together into a single, coherent offer that, scattered, would remain invisible to the visitor.

The data at a glance

89% of Millennials and Gen Z say it's essential to leave room in their itinerary to enjoy local specialties, and 60% of travellers often or always buy food items specific to the destination.
Why? To try items not available at home (66%) and to support local businesses (45%).
Where they look: street food (69%), bakeries (53%) and local grocery stores (50%).
It's not just eating: 79% seek out local workshops and activities, and 69% find creating something with their hands one of the most rewarding parts of travel.
They chase stories, not just destinations: 83% of younger travellers prefer authentic experiences over popular tourist attractions, and 58% want nature experiences.
More than 75% seek out a food item that has gone viral online — and social media has reshaped how travellers discover and share food on their trips.

The institutional consensus

UN Tourism defines gastronomy tourism as the food-linked experience that includes visiting local producers, joining food festivals and attending cooking classes, noting that as competition between destinations grows, local heritage becomes the deciding factor in attracting visitors.
In its framework, producers act as ambassadors for their territory, reinforcing identity and safeguarding the authenticity of each place.

What Azeite a Norte is building in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro

These trends describe, without naming it, the proposition the Azeite a Norte project is developing across the territory — giving integrated, visible and bookable form to a potential that, scattered across olive groves, mills and landscapes, needed structure, narrative and curation:

Flavours that define a place → the olive oil of Trás-os-Montes, guided tastings, and producers who open their doors.
Experiences to do, not just to see → olive-grove walks, taking part in the olive harvest, visits to traditional mills.
Authenticity over mass circuits → the heart of the "One Place, One Story" concept and a UNESCO-classified landscape.
Longer, off-peak stays → multi-day routes that come alive in the shoulder season: spring blossom and the autumn harvest of new olive oil.

For our network partners: how to capture the value with food tourism

Sell the experience, not only the product — visitors want to take part.
Give each olive oil a face and a story: authentic narrative is what younger travellers seek and share.
Treat visual and social content as part of the offer.
Start preparing harvest-season experiences (October–December), the most immersive of the year.