Columbus, OH -- Once a novelty relegated to only the largest tourist destinations, food tours have quickly grown to become a mainstream national phenomenon.  Columbus, Ohio-based Columbus Food Adventures, one of the country's earliest food tour operators, recently compiled an exhaustive study of the culinary tour industry.  According to the research, since 2008, the number of U.S. companies offering culinary tours has increased by more than 300%.  Columbus Food Adventures has catalogued more than 200 food tour businesses now operating across the U.S.  The research demonstrates that culinary tour companies offer more than 625 different tours, covering a wide variety of markets in 39 states.  As such, food tours have become the signature indicator of the health of a city's culinary tourism.

Many factors account for the rapid rise of the food tour: the increasing number of quality restaurants in smaller markets, the growing trend of dining as entertainment and the desire for novelty.  Travelers also appreciate that food tours allow them to sample a wide variety of restaurants in a short period of time -- often at a price less than the cost of trying separate, full-sized portions of each dish.  But according to Bethia Woolf, co-owner of Columbus Food Adventures, the primary driver is cultural.

"Food Network, Travel Channel and similar food-related programming have inspired significant interest in and curiosity about guided multi-restaurant experiences, Woolf said.  "Often, our customers are fans of Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, Guy Fieri and Adam Richman, and taking a food tour serves to put them on the other side of the screen.  On a guided food tour, they're not watching other people eat, they get to try all of these great foods themselves, turning a passive, vicarious experience into a fully formed, first-hand experience," said Woolf.

Columbus Food Adventures' team closely monitors culinary trends, both locally and globally, incorporating them into its seven distinct tour itineraries.  By showcasing both under-appreciated gems and established landmarks, Columbus Food Adventures highlights the most exciting local food destinations, while showing unwavering commitment to locally owned companies. Such efforts have prompted national recognition for the tour company's groundbreaking approach to culinary tourism and its commitment to exposing the best of a city increasingly being noted for its vibrant local food scene.

In addition to travelers, food tours are also proving to be an enticing tour opportunity for locals, as they provide an authentic experience within one's own community.  Columbus Food Adventures "Alt Eats Tour," for example, helps participants sample authentic dishes from Somali, Indian, Vietnamese, Mexican and Nigerian restaurants, each owned and operated by members of their respective immigrant communities. The culinary experience parallels that of a trip around the world, all without leaving one American city.

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