The standard for travel is changing from attractions to food and cultural experiences.

The center of travel has always been attractions.

Where you saw and how many places you visited were considered criteria for determining the satisfaction of a trip.

However, recent travel standards are changing little by little.

We live in an era where memories of a trip are more determined by what we ate and what culture we experienced in that area, rather than how many famous tourist attractions we visited.

In particular, gourmet food is no longer an ancillary element of travel, but is becoming one of the important reasons for choosing a travel destination.

This change is clearly evident in the ‘Travel Happiness Index’ recently announced by Booking.com.

73% of travelers in Asia responded that they prioritize tasting local food and having meaningful experiences in their travel itineraries.

Korean travelers also reached 71%.

In fact, if you look at travel destinations that have been attracting attention recently, food and local culture are closely connected.

In Kochi, India, Kerala's unique spices and seafood dishes reveal its long history as a trading city.

The Mattancherry Spice Market, the old buildings of Fort Kochi, and the village scenery along the waterway are not separate tourist attractions.

The spice trade, residents’ lives, and food culture are connected into one travel experience.

Georgetown, Malaysia is even more clear.

Here, one meal is the history of the city.

Foods such as char kway teow, Assam laksa, and nasi kandar are a mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Peranakan cultures.

Walking through Chinatown and Little India and tasting food is ultimately a way to look into the process through which Georgetown became the city it is today.

Kanazawa, Japan is also a representative city where food shows regional identity.

Kaga cuisine, Japanese sweets, and seafood from Omicho Market, along with traditional crafts such as gold leaf and lacquerware, make up a long-standing local culture.

The reason tourists have the opportunity to make their own sushi or jibuni is popular because they want to learn more about the local lifestyle than just eating the food.

In Yogyakarta, Indonesia, royal culture, traditional food, and performances move together.

After tasting Gudek, a representative local food, and experiencing batik, you can watch the Ramayana ballet, which combines gamelan performance and Javanese traditional dance.

Food, performances, and traditional culture are not separate tourist products, but are combined into a single local experience.

In Hobart, Australia, alcohol is also an important travel content.

Seafood, wine, whiskey, and craft beer form part of a trip to Tasmania.

At Cascade Beer Brewery, which opened in 1824, you can not only drink beer, but also learn about the history and production process of the brewery.

A glass of beer is connected to the history of the city.

These changes also have significant implications for the travel industry.

In the past, a single landmark attracted tourists, but now spaces that are closely related to the lives of residents, such as markets, alleys, restaurants, breweries, and cooking classes, are becoming travel destinations.

This means that opportunities will be created even in areas that lack famous tourist attractions.

Even if there are no large museums or world-class buildings, food that can only be eaten in that region, long-standing recipes, and stories surrounding markets and restaurants can be sufficient reasons to travel.

Travelers’ perspectives have also changed.

We remember the experiences of eating, cooking, and listening to stories longer than places we visit to take a photo.

A Booking.com official said, "This means that travelers no longer think of meals as just a meal," and added, "Experiencing what's sold in the market, what foods people enjoy eating, and what history and culture are contained in a plate of food is becoming a trip in itself."