Selling Travel 101: ‘Foodie’ Travel
by John Hawks

If you've enjoyed movies like "Under the Tuscan Sun" -- or if your favorite part of sailing aboard a new cruise ship is checking out the alternative dining venues -- then you're ready to explore a fast-growing niche of the travel industry: culinary travel.

Fueled by the explosion of interest in celebrity chefs (think Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray), TV cooking shows (The Food Network draws millions of viewers every day), and kitchen renovations (with restaurant-quality appliances and utensils), culinary travel has become big business. Generally, you can steer your clients (or "foodies") in four different travel directions:

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