Massimo Capra shoots episode in St. Augustine for "Gourmet Escapes."
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- When you go on vacation, you eat, of course. But more and more people are going on vacation... to eat.
It's called food tourism or culinary tourism, and the trend has exploded in the last few years. An international travel television show is in St. Augustine this week, highlighting the old city's food.
Chef Massimo Capra is one of the most recognized chefs in Canada and hosts the show "Gourmet Escapes," which airs in Canada but not in the U.S.
Capra was cooking up an episode Tuesday with Chef Ed Hill at Rhett's Piano Bar and Brasserie in downtown St. Augustine.
"Every where you go, you have a traditional style of cooking," Capra commented.
That's the basis for the growing trend of food tourism, allowing people to take vacations primarily to eat and drink the destination's fare.
Tuesday, local foods were on the menu: sheepshead, mullet, potatoes, brussel sprouts, kale and pork chops.
In the UK, food tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry.
While it appears there aren't any hard numbers for culinary tourism in the U.S., St. Augustine has seen a surge in food tourism offerings. According to the St. Augustine Visitors and Convention Bureau, six food tours have started in the last year; participants can walk or ride along a tour which takes them to local eateries.
"More and more people are interested in getting the entire experience," John Arbizzani, who owns Rhett's and Scarlett O'Hara's in St. Augustine.
He said people are looking for ambiance and music too.
"St. Augustine is following in the footsteps of other cities as far as ethnic cuisine. What we're doing here, we're providing a place that gives the flavors of the old world which complement the history of the city."
According to the International Culinary Tourism Association, food travelers will spend anywhere from a third to a half of their travel budget on food.
Capra called St. Augustine "a gem."
"You have the beautiful scenery. Why not while you have the people here, feed them what the traditional dishes are. To me food tourism is natural. They go together!"
Which means when it's hot in the kitchen, the local economy is pulling in some cold hard cash.
First Coast News