SINGAPORE – Asia’s love affair with food has officially gone global, and the hospitality industry is poised to reap the rewards. According to new insights from digital travel platform Agoda, food-focused tourism is rapidly shaping travel decisions across the region, offering hoteliers new opportunities to elevate guest experiences and build stronger connections with travelers.

Between June and July 2025, food and drink activities ranked among the top five categories searched by Asian travelers, alongside tours and immersive experiences. Japan emerged as the most sought-after culinary destination, followed by Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. These findings signal a growing demand for journeys that go beyond sightseeing, with travelers seeking authentic dining experiences that connect them more deeply to place and culture.

Interestingly, the appetite for food-centric travel is not limited to international visitors. Japanese travelers themselves are driving this trend, with domestic searches for local culinary adventures as strong as interest in neighboring destinations such as Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Macao and Hong Kong, in particular, have surfaced as cross-market favorites for travelers from Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and South Korea – underscoring the appeal of diverse regional cuisines.

Agoda’s latest Top Foodie Destinations survey reinforces this growing phenomenon: nearly half of respondents from South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, and Malaysia said food was their primary reason for travel. This signals a shift in priorities, with gastronomy emerging as a decisive factor in trip planning.

Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President, Supply at Agoda, commented, “Living in Thailand, I often see firsthand how food shapes travel experiences and its growing influence on how travelers are planning their journeys. Travelers are becoming more adventurous with their palates, seeking destinations celebrated for their food culture. Our search data shows that culinary experiences are now a top priority for many guests, and we encourage our hotel partners to embrace this trend whether by spotlighting local dining options, collaborating with nearby restaurants or curating unique food experiences for their guests.” 

Hotels looking to stand out can do so by investing in on-site dining concepts that highlight regional flavors or by designing signature dishes that tell a culinary story. Beyond property walls, partnerships with local restaurants, family-owned eateries, and street food vendors can offer guests an authentic taste of the destination while strengthening ties with the community.

To further personalize the experience, properties can provide hyper-local dining guides, facilitate seamless table reservations through apps or concierge services, and even adapt recommendations based on guest feedback or dietary preferences. These thoughtful touches not only enrich the stay but also foster repeat visits.

The timing couldn’t be more favorable. The latter half of 2025 is set to feature a string of high-profile food festivals and industry events across Asia, drawing global attention to the region’s thriving culinary scene. Agoda encourages hoteliers to leverage their proximity to these celebrations, positioning their properties as gateways for travelers eager to explore the latest in gastronomy.

With a global network of over 6 million holiday properties, 130,000 flight routes, and more than 300,000 activities, Agoda continues to support its partners with data-driven insights, technology, and reach to capitalize on this growing appetite for food-inspired travel.

JAKARTA – Culinary tourism is the main magnet for tourists to travel in Asia. In the latest list of Agoda digital travel platforms, there are several destinations that are most in demand for the experience of eating and tasting local flavors in Asia.

Based on this data, Japan occupies the top spot for culinary tourism in Asia, during the search period from June to July 2025. Quoted from Travel Daily News, on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, Thailand took second place on the list, followed by Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

The five countries dominate the search for tourists who make food and drinks the main focus on their journey. This opens up strategic opportunities for hotels to stand out in the market, through collaboration with local restaurants or street food providers that are famous for increasing tourist visits.

“Tourists are now more daring in exploring flavors and actively looking for destinations known for their culinary cultural wealth,” said Vice President for Supply at Agoda Andrew Smith.

Not only that, tourists from Japan are also one of the most active in looking for culinary experiences. Both domestically and in neighboring countries such as Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

The trend of tourists who increasingly prioritize culinary in traveling is a signal for hotels, restaurants, and street vendors to continue to develop their products to satisfy the end.

“We encourage hotel partners to take advantage of this trend by highlighting local places to eat, working with local restaurants or providing curated culinary experiences specifically for guests,” he added.

This is expected to attract global culinary lovers to travel to Asia. Thus, it will strengthen Asia’s position as a global gastronomy tourism center in the future.

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Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) Executive Director Clint O’Neal may soon add a new title to his resume: globetrotter.

The AEDC leader is fresh off a successful trade trip to Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is planning a fall mission trip to Asia.

“These trips have proven to be very successful in the Sanders’ administration,” said O’Neal in an interview on Talk Business & Politics and Capitol View. “We’ll start with an October event where Rafael [Advanced Defense Systems] will come over to do a grand opening of their joint venture project with Raytheon R2S in Camden.”

The two defense companies broke ground in early 2024 on a new manufacturing facility in Camden, Ark., that will produce the Tamir missile for the Iron Dome Weapon System and its variant, the SkyHunter missile, to be used by American defense forces and U.S. allies.

O’Neal said he and Arkansas Department of Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald will take part in an upcoming trade trip to Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

“A lot of companies are here from Japan, and so we will get to visit with a lot of the companies that are already doing business in Arkansas. There are a lot of relationships that we’re forming in Korea. We made two trips there last year and then make our first trip to Taiwan,” he said.

He said the industries that Arkansas is targeting with Asian prospects include steel, timber and forestry, ag tech, semiconductors, defense, and food and beverage.

“We have active projects from Japan and Korea, companies that are taking a strong look and some that I think will even announce projects before the end of the calendar year,” said O’Neal.

It has been a banner year for Arkansas job announcements. In the past two months, the state has announced at least seven new projects or expansions. O’Neal said his agency and the Sanders’ administration have been executing a game plan set in motion earlier.

“I think companies are recognizing a lot of things about Arkansas: strong leadership from the top, public policy decisions around education and workforce development, a focus on economic development where we want to care of company’s needs, real estate, workforce development, business costs, incentives, knowing that Arkansans can go to work and get the job done,” he said. “One of the things I’m most proud of about the projects that you announced is look at the communities that they represent from Nashville to West Memphis, Osceola, Mountain Pine, Springdale, I mean, projects all over the state. That’s something that we’re very proud of.”

Last week, AEDC launched the application period for the latest round of the Arkansas Site Development Program, a $50 million tranche of funding to get industrial sites prepared for job prospects. O’Neal said the application process closes later this fall and money will be awarded in the spring of 2026. The funding can be used for a variety of project prep.

“Sometimes it’s demolition and clearing. Sometimes it’s actual infrastructure. So if a site is full of trees and water and sewer lines are a mile away and we’re telling prospects to have an imagination, we’re going from that to having prospect visits where you’ve got a nice flat industrial site infrastructure’s onsite,” he said. “It takes away risk. There’s no need for an imagination. It’s all here.”

In his wide-ranging interview, O’Neal discussed the pros and cons of data centers, the growing need for more energy for projects, and a new partnership with the NWA Council. Watch O’Neal’s full interview in the video below.

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