1. +
Social Media for Culinary
Tourism
Ayngelina Brogan, Michael Hodson
May 14, 2014

2. +
Culinary Tourism not a Trend
n 'In
Ireland,
tourist
expenditure
on
food
and
drink
in
2009
was
close
to
€2
billion,
represen;ng
the
largest
significant
component
of
individual
visitor
expenditure
and
exceeding
the
average
spend
on
bed
and
board.'
(Fáilte
Ireland
Na/onal
Tourism
Framework
Strategy
2011-­‐2013)
n Culinary/food
tourism
is
not
limited
to
gourmet
food;
the
WFTA
reports
that
"gourmet"
comprises
8.1%
of
culinary
travelers.

3. +
It’s not about Michelin stars
Food
travelers
simply
like
good
food
and
drink
experiences
rather
than
fine
dining.

4. +
Culinary Tourists are Affluent
n Concerned
about
origin
of
products,
want
it
to
be
local
n Will
spend
money
for
unique
experiences
n The
Anthony
Bourdain
moment
n Will
recommend
specific
restaurants
and
stores
to
friends
n Will
return
to
loca;on
if
they
feel
connec;on

5. +
What Food Hunters Want
n Local
cuisine
n Connect
with
locals
n Food
is
a
way
to
connect
with
locals,
overcome
language
barrier
n Cooking
classes,
market
tours,
homestays
n Recipes
to
bring
home
n Meet
the
people
behind
the
food
n An
insider’s
view
–
make
it
local

6. +
How to Begin
n Know
your
current
customers
n Know
your
region
n Think
about
experiences
that
make
sense
for
your
business
n What
is
your
story
–
around
for
genera;ons
or
a
new
business?

7. +
Not about competing but working
together
n Don’t
be
afraid
to
recommend
compe;tors
n Restaurants
can
work
together,
if
people
like
one
they
will
trust
recommenda;on
to
another.
n Form
like-­‐minded
groups,
share
your
recommenda;ons
with
others
n In
OZawa,
Canada
5
restaurants
with
a
modern
focus
promote
each
other
on
their
websites
and
back
of
business
cards.
n The
Beehive
Hotel
in
Rome
created
a
guide
with
its
picks
for
visitors
but
it’s
free
for
anyone
on
its
site.

8. +
It’s all about the photo
Culinary
tourists
stay
connected
on
vaca;on,
they
share
their
finds
with
friends
at
home.
Taking
photos
of
all
of
their
meals
and
pos;ng
them
at
the
table,
culinary
tourists
are
gra;fied
by
sharing
almost
as
much
as
consuming.
Ge^ng
photos
of
or
with
the
chef
or
farmer
is
the
ul;mate
prize.
For
operators
it
gives
a
sense
of
;me
and
place.
Why
your
business
is
special
and
different
than
others.
Find
opportuni;es
to
make
this
happen.

9. +
Instagram
n 100 million monthly active
users.
n 40 million photos per day.
n 8,500 likes per second.
n 1,000 comments per second.

10. +
Quick Tips
n Post daily
n Interact often
n Use hashtags
n Keep your Instagram caption word count under 140
characters so you can post to Twitter.
n Use natural light, no flash!

11. +
Instagram: Promote Events

12. +
Instagram: Establish Credibility

13. +
What to share?
Character
n The restaurant atmosphere during a busy hour.
Food
n Most photogenic, colourful food.
Insider Access
n Who is the chef and employees, what happens behind the
scenes.
n Producers, ingredients, the process.

14. +
More Ideas?
n Uncork a wine bottle, pour into a glass, and raise it to salute
the weekend
n Introduce diners to your chef at work in the kitchen
n Ask diners for reviews (get permission before posting!)
n Show a "before" shot of ingredients, the food prep process,
and the final dish being served

15. +
Great Instagram Video

16. +
Facebook Tips
n Think about why people come to your site: 1) location 2)
menu 3) contact info
n Photos! Photos! Photos!
n Special offers for Facebook Fans
n Partner with other businesses for discounts
n Small contest incentives
n (e.g. free app to indentify food item)

17. +
Facebook

18. +
Get Feedback
Consumers may not feel
comfortable giving praise
or critique in person,
Facebook is an easy way to
get their review.

19. +
How to Deal with Disappointment
n The
person
working
with
customers
should
ac;vely
ask
for
reviews
on
Facebook
and
TripAdvisor
if
they
liked
their
experience.
n Complaints
and
disappointment
are
inevitable.
n Respond
to
complaints
n TripAdvisor
studies
show
that
when
a
company
responds
readers
trust
the
company
more
than
the
poster.
n Food
is
very
personal
and
people
will
understand.
Not
responding
signals
the
company
doesn’t
care
once
the
customer
spends
their
money.

20. +
Brindisi’s Challenge
n Travelers
come
to
Italy
several
;mes
in
their
life;me,
the
first
trip
oben
being
Rome/Venice/Florence,
then
Cinque
Terre
or
Sicily.
n How
can
we
encourage
people
to
visit
Brindisi
when
they
may
not
know
it,
how
do
we
convince
people
to
come
here
instead
of
San
Marino
n Brindisi
is
the
hidden
gem.
It
is
the
travelers’
secret.
It
is
where
people
go
who
“are
in
the
know”.
It’s
a
special
place
not
overrun
by
tourists.
n Experience
the
uncrowded.
Where
you
can
have
a
truly
Italian
experience,
dining
in
local
places
and
mee;ng
locals.
n Give
people
a
reason
to
come,
is
this
weekend
a
peZole
fes;val
where
everyone
features
their
best,
what
local
fes;vals
could
be
more
accessible
to
tourists?