That's why Airbnb has partnered with four high profile and award winning chefs: Chef Ian Kittichai(Thailand); Chef Manish Mehrotra (India); Chef Tony Yoo (South Korea); and Chef Koh Kentetsu (Japan) for the Airbnb Kitchens of Asia initiative, which encourages travelers to try authentic Asian dishes and delicacies that capture the flavors of India, Japan, South Korea and Thailand.
APAC women travelers are more adventurous when it comes to trying new cuisines
The Airbnb APAC Travel survey (the Survey), which was conducted in seven countries - Australia, China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand - found women travelers from China (73%), India (74%), Japan (80%), Singapore (84%), South Korea (59%) and Thailand (69%), are more inclined to feel it is important to sample local cuisine than their male countrymen. The only exception is Australia where men are more keen to try local dishes (76%) compared to 71% of women.
Comparatively, in general, Singaporean travelers are most likely to want to try local food (81%) whereas only 58% of travelers from South Korea do.
Thai travelers over 55 prove more open to trying new flavors than millennials
In Australia (77%), China (65%), India (72%), Japan (83%), Singapore (79%) and South Korea (59%), the 18-24-year-old age group is most open to new ideas and the importance of trying local foods. Yet surprisingly, in Thailand, it is the over 55s who are more open to trying new flavors and cuisines on their vacations (82%).
Moreover, while 76% of APAC travelers say local food influences their choice of holiday destination it increases to 87% for Indian travelers and dips to 62% for Thai travelers.
Travelers don't have to miss out on trying local cuisine - 80% of Airbnb listings have kitchens
Findings for the Survey showed almost half of APAC travelers (46%) are reluctant to cook in their accommodation due to the lack of kitchen facilities, while 41% do not want to spend time cooking or shopping on holiday and 43% have a preference to eat out and try local dishes.
However, more than 80% of Airbnb listings in APAC have kitchen facilities, allowing travelers the flexibility of preparing their own meals whether they are staying in a treehouse, beach villa, loft apartment or cozy city flat.
In addition, even the most reluctant adventurer and time-poor traveler can explore local flavors quickly and easily. The Airbnb Kitchens of Asia collaboration brings together these four renowned Chefs and Airbnb 'foodie' hosts to share their twist on a selection of authentic Korean, Indian, Japanese and Thai recipes created using 10 ingredients or less, or that can be made in under 30 minutes.
One fifth of solo travelers cook on vacation, compared to 46% of family travelers
When vacationing with family, travelers do not always have the opportunity to explore the local food scene. In fact, the Survey revealed that 46% of travelers are more likely to cook in their accommodation when they travel with family as compared to only 21% of solo travelers, so this Chef collaboration ensures families do not miss out on the whole local food experience, and what's more can continue to explore the flavors of their vacation once they return home.
There are regional variations to the findings, with family groups traveling from Japan least likely to cook with just 23% keen to do so. On the other hand, 46%, 47%, 64% and 66% of Indian, Chinese, Thai and South Korean travelers respectively would be more likely to cook in their accommodation when they are traveling with their families.
Six of out 10 travelers like to try new experiences and activities
As well as wanting to try local cuisine, the survey found that 59% of all APAC travelers interviewed want to try new activities or experiences on holiday. This rises to 70% of Singaporean, 68% of Indian and 65% of Australian travelers who are keen to try something different and new. Japanese travelers are the least likely to embrace new activities and adventures at 31%.
As well as providing a variety of listings from home hosts to entire homes, Airbnb offers a variety of F&B Experiences for individuals who love all things food. Whether you want to forage for lunch in Delhi, take a market tour and learn authentic Sobaan cooking in Korea, or master making Miso in Japan, Airbnb has you covered.
"Our Survey has shown that people across the region, irrespective of age or gender, have a desire to really experience the places that they travel to, not just visit. Food is such an influence on destination decision-making, and is also one of the easiest ways that you can immerse yourself into a local culture or community, whether travelling with your family and friends, or alone. For that reason, the Airbnb Kitchens of Asia initiative brings together four of the best Chefs from the region - Chef Ian Kittichai; Chef Manish Mehrotra; Chef Koh Kentetsu; and Chef Tony Yoo - and our community 'foodie' hosts who share their culinary ideas. The result is a series of great tasting recipes packed full of the essence of Indian, Korean, Thai and Japanese cuisine for travelers to re-create either on vacation at an Airbnb listing or once they are back home," said Siew Kum-Hong, Regional Director, Asia Pacific, Airbnb.