Taking a bite out of tourism

According to the National Tour Association (NTA), special interest tours are a growing market in the tour business. A special interest group is defined as a group of people who are not already formed through regular participation in shared outings who choose to travel because of a common interest, hobby or activity.

Examples of special interest tours include bird watching, farm tours, arts and craft tours, scuba diving, spelunking and white water rafting. One of the newest niches for special interest groups is culinary tours.

Some people immediately define culinary tours as winery tours and fine dining excursions. This really is not what culinary tours are all about. Although these two components are important to culinary tourism, they are by no means the only definers. As explained by Erik Wolf, founder and director of the International Culinary Tourism Association (ICTA), a "true culinary tourist is not a snob but rather an impassioned aficionado of food and drink." He further explains, "True culinary tourists are perfectly happy at a roadside caf/ in the middle of nowhere, as long as there is something positively memorable about their visit."

If you think about it, culinary art is the only art that involves all five senses. This is key for success in pleasing any special interest group -- they want to experience the activity not just observe it.

So what do culinary tourists do if winery tours and fine dining excursions aren't the only activities they partake in? Culinary tourists travel to destinations in order to participate in food, wine or beer special events and festivals; attend cooking classes; eat and drink in a hard-to-find "locals-only" restaurant or bar, or search for unique ingredients at a farmers' market, u-pick farm or bazaar.

The Mat-Su Valley offers an array of services that culinary tourists from around the world would be particularly interested in -- one of these being the fresh vegetables and fruit from the Matanuska Valley. There is a very strong link between culinary tourism and agriculture -- after all, the raw ingredients for any culinary dish come from land, sea or air.

Although prepared foods are not sold at any local farms that are open to the public, there is an opportunity to develop this type of service to satisfy culinary travelers. Just think, wouldn't it be great to try fresh baked potatoes or a garden salad picked fresh from the earth right there at the farm? In countries like Japan this is a huge success. Now that there is a certified organic farming program, many of these culinary tourists might be interested in visiting the Mat-Su Valley to learn about this interesting program and try products made from organic farming. Also, restaurants that advertise they offer "Wild, Alaska Salmon" on their menu set themselves apart and are more likely to catch the attention of those seeking a unique culinary experience.

This past weekend the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge held a beer pairing event in which a variety of Alaskan Brewing Company beers were matched with a variety of dishes ranging from salads, soups, entrees and desserts. An event like this is easily considered as part of culinary tourism.

Some of the remote lodges in the Valley allow their guests to participate in the preparation of meals. Winterlake Lodge is well known for its culinary workshops, visiting guest chefs and surrounding beautiful scenery. Guests are invited to be in the kitchen and have a hands-on experience preparing delicious meals. This is exactly the type of activity that draws interest from culinary tourists.

So what is the importance of culinary tourism for the Mat-Su Valley? According ICTA, nearly 100 percent of tourists dine out when traveling. This is a big boost to the local economy because everyone has to eat sooner or later. ICTA also cites that culinary tourism helps sustain smaller, family-owned agriculture businesses. Culinary tourists are also highly likely to participate in outdoor recreation and interested in exploring new areas. The Mat-Su Valley has plenty of recreational opportunities and adventure related activities like rafting, glacier trekking, hiking that would greatly appeal to the culinary traveler. On another note, the Mat-Su Valley has virtually no chain restaurants -- a plus for those seeking true community character in their dining experience.

As a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) it is the role of the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau to help facilitate connections made between suppliers of culinary products and tour operators who can market and package these devices.

With a strong partnership between suppliers and operators, it is our goal to keep visitors in the Valley longer as well as fill a niche like culinary tourism and become the destination of choice.

For more information about culinary tourism, visit ICTA's Web site at www.culinarytourism.org.