Travel: The Aisle is the Attraction: How Trolley Tourism is Redefining Culinary Travel

InsightTrendsWorld
Oct 18
8 min read

What is the Trolley Tourism Trend: This trend signifies a fundamental shift in travel behavior where tourists, particularly food enthusiasts, are actively making local supermarkets, convenience stores, and food markets a central part of their vacation itineraries, seeking authentic cultural immersion through the lens of everyday grocery shopping.

From Pit Stop to Pinnacle Experience: Supermarkets are no longer just a place for travelers to grab necessities. They are now being treated as key destinations, offering a genuine glimpse into local life, ingredients, and culinary traditions that restaurants often cannot provide.
A Quest for Deeper Authenticity: This trend is driven by a desire to connect with a destination on a more personal level. Walking through a French supermarket's cheese section or exploring a Tokyo konbini allows travelers to experience the local food culture as residents do.
Food as the Primary Motivator: The Booking.com study confirms that food is emerging as the central theme of travel in 2025. For a vast majority of travelers (88% of Australians), the local cuisine is a primary factor in choosing where to go, and supermarket visits are now an integral part of that culinary exploration.

Why it is the topic trending: The rise of Trolley Tourism is a direct response to a growing global demand for more authentic, immersive, and sustainable travel experiences, moving beyond curated tourist traps to engage with the genuine fabric of a destination's daily life.

The Power of Culinary Curiosity: An overwhelming number of travelers are now food-driven. The report highlights that nearly nine in ten Australians choose their destinations based on the cuisines they want to try, making the local food scene the main attraction.
Shift in Destination Preferences: This trend is tangibly influencing travel patterns. The decline in Japan's popularity and the rise of Indonesia as the top destination for Australians in August 2025 reflects a move toward countries where vibrant, accessible food markets are central to the culture.
Economic and Sustainable Appeal: Trolley Tourism aligns with the global shift toward responsible travel. It directly supports local economies—benefiting small businesses, farmers, and market vendors—and encourages the consumption of local, seasonal produce over imported goods.

Overview: In 2025, food is no longer just a part of the travel experience; it is increasingly the main event. A new phenomenon dubbed "Trolley Tourism" has emerged, where travelers are making local supermarkets and food markets key destinations in their itineraries. Led by a strong interest from Australian tourists, this trend is reshaping vacation plans, influencing the popularity of destinations like Indonesia, and creating a parallel trend known as the "Portable Pantry," where travelers bring beloved food items from home. This shift toward everyday culinary exploration offers a more authentic, sustainable, and personal way to connect with a culture.

Detailed findings: The article provides specific data points and examples that quantify this growing trend.

High Engagement Among Australians: 88% of Australian travelers actively seek to visit supermarkets and food markets during their holidays.
Food-Driven Destination Choice: An identical 88% of Australian travelers choose their vacation spots based on the cuisines they are most excited to experience.
The "Portable Pantry" is Prevalent: 80% of Australian travelers admit to bringing food or cooking items from home, with top items being Australian wine (25%), Tim Tams (24%), and Vegemite (17%).
A Major Shift in Travel Patterns: While Japan was historically a top destination, by August 2025, it had fallen out of the top 10 for Australian travelers. Indonesia rose to become the #1 destination, surpassing New Zealand and the UK.
Global Foodie Hotspots: Top destinations for food-loving travelers include Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, alongside perennial favorites like Italy and France.

Key success factors of Trolley Tourism Destinations: For a destination to successfully attract and cater to this new type of traveler, it must possess several key attributes.

Vibrant and Accessible Local Markets: The destination must have a rich culture of local markets, from bustling outdoor bazaars to well-stocked, unique supermarkets that are welcoming to visitors.
A Distinct and Discoverable Food Culture: There must be a unique culinary identity for travelers to explore through local ingredients, products, and ready-made meals available in these stores.
Authentic, Non-Tourist-Trap Environments: The appeal lies in the authenticity of the experience. The markets and supermarkets should primarily serve the local community, allowing tourists to observe and participate in daily life.
Promotion of Culinary Experiences: Tourism boards and local businesses should actively market their food markets and supermarkets as key attractions alongside traditional sights.

Key Takeaway: The definition of a tourist attraction is expanding to include the supermarket aisle, signaling a profound shift where authentic, everyday experiences are becoming more valuable than traditional, curated ones.

Food is the Itinerary: For a growing number of travelers, the entire vacation is planned around culinary exploration, with market visits being as important as museum trips.
Authenticity is Found in the Everyday: Travelers are discovering that the most genuine connection to a culture can be found by participating in its daily rituals, like grocery shopping.
Consumer Behavior is Reshaping Global Travel Maps: This trend is directly influencing which countries become tourist hotspots, as seen in the pivot from Japan to Indonesia.

Core consumer trend: This trend can be defined as "Everyday Immersion." It represents the desire of modern travelers to move beyond the passive observation of a culture and actively participate in its most routine and authentic aspects, with food serving as the primary gateway.

Description of the trend: This trend manifests in a few distinct behaviors.

Itinerary Integration: Travelers are formally scheduling visits to specific supermarkets or markets as part of their daily travel plans.
Experiential Shopping: The goal is not just to buy food but to discover unique local products, observe shopping habits, and interact with vendors.
Blending Local and Personal Tastes: The parallel "Portable Pantry" trend shows a desire to create a hybrid culinary experience—cooking local ingredients while enjoying the comfort of familiar tastes from home.

Key Characteristics of the trend:

Curiosity-Driven: It is motivated by a genuine interest in food, culture, and the daily lives of others.
Highly Accessible and Democratic: Unlike exclusive fine dining, exploring a supermarket is an activity accessible to travelers of all budgets.
Sensory and Interactive: It engages all the senses, from seeing colorful produce and smelling local spices to tasting fresh samples.

Market and Cultural Signals Supporting the Trend:

Major Industry Reports: The Booking.com study provides quantitative data validating that food is a primary travel driver.
Government Statistics: Official data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirms a tangible shift in destination popularity, corroborating the trend's impact.
Media and Social Media Focus: The very existence of articles like this, and the rise of social media influencers showcasing their "supermarket hauls" from abroad, indicates a growing cultural conversation around this topic.

What is consumer motivation: The core motivation is the pursuit of an authentic connection with a destination that feels personal and unscripted.

To "Live Like a Local": Travelers want to step out of the tourist bubble and experience a place as its residents do, even for a short time.
For Culinary Education: Food lovers are driven by a desire to discover new ingredients, learn about different cooking traditions, and find unique edible souvenirs.
To Create Unique Memories: A visit to a bustling Indonesian fish market or a charming Italian deli offers a more unique and personal travel story than a visit to a crowded landmark.

What is motivation beyond the trend: The deeper motivation is a desire for genuine human connection and a more sustainable and responsible way of engaging with the world.

Cultural Understanding: By observing the everyday act of shopping, travelers gain insights into a culture's values, priorities, and social dynamics.
Supporting Local Communities: There is a growing awareness and desire among travelers to ensure their tourism dollars directly benefit local people and small businesses.
A Rejection of Over-Commercialized Tourism: This trend can be seen as a quiet rebellion against standardized, impersonal tourist experiences in favor of something more real.

Description of consumers: The Culinary Explorers. This segment consists of curious, open-minded, and food-centric travelers who prioritize authentic experiences over conventional sightseeing. They view food as the ultimate language of culture.

Experiential Priority: They value doing over just seeing and are willing to integrate everyday activities into their vacation.
Food as a Lens: They use food—from street stalls to supermarket shelves—as their primary tool for understanding a new place.
Independent and Adventurous: They are comfortable navigating local environments and are often seeking experiences off the beaten path.

Consumer Detailed Summary:

Who are they: Food-loving travelers, with a notable concentration among Australians, who are actively redefining what constitutes a tourist activity.
What is their age?: Spans a wide demographic, but is particularly strong among Millennials and Gen Z, who prioritize authentic, shareable experiences.
What is their gender?: Diverse.
What is their income?: This trend appeals across income levels, as exploring markets can be a very budget-friendly way to experience a culture.
What is their lifestyle: They are culturally curious, often active on social media, and see travel as an opportunity for learning and personal growth.

How the Trend Is Changing Consumer Behavior:

Redefining Itinerary Planning: Travelers are now researching and mapping out visits to specific markets and supermarkets with the same diligence they would a museum.
Changing Souvenir Choices: Instead of trinkets, souvenirs are now more likely to be unique, edible items like local spices, snacks, or sauces.
Influencing Accommodation Choices: There may be a growing preference for accommodations with kitchen facilities (like apartment rentals) to allow for cooking with locally sourced ingredients.

Implications of trend Across the Ecosystem (For Consumers, For Brands/Destinations):

For Consumers: This trend empowers travelers to have more affordable, authentic, and sustainable vacation experiences, offering a deeper connection to the places they visit.
For Brands/Destinations: Tourism boards must now market their entire food ecosystem, not just their restaurants. Supermarket chains in tourist-heavy areas have an opportunity to brand themselves as cultural destinations.

Strategic Forecast:

Rise of Curated Market Tours: Expect to see more guided tours focused specifically on navigating local supermarkets and food markets, led by local food experts.
"Shop and Cook" Experiences: Accommodations and local businesses will increasingly offer packages that include a guided market trip followed by a cooking class using the purchased ingredients.
Supermarkets as Tourist Hubs: Retailers in popular destinations may begin to cater more to tourists with multilingual signage, curated sections of "local favorites," and tasting stations.

Areas of innovation (implied by trend):

Digital Market Guides: Apps that help tourists navigate large, complex food markets, translating product names and explaining the use of local ingredients.
In-Store Cultural Experiences: Supermarkets could host workshops or demonstrations by local food artisans to attract and engage tourists.
"Trolley Tourist" Loyalty Programs: Retail chains could create loyalty programs that offer special discounts or experiences to international visitors.

Summary of Trends

The grocery aisle is the new guide book.

Core Consumer Trend: Everyday Immersion The modern traveler seeks authentic connection by actively participating in the daily rituals of a destination, using food and grocery shopping as their primary entry point.
Core Social Trend: The Pursuit of Authenticity There is a broad cultural shift away from polished, "Instagrammable" tourist traps toward more genuine, unscripted, and personal travel experiences.
Core Strategy: Market the Mundane For destinations, the winning strategy is to recognize and promote the cultural value of their everyday spaces—like supermarkets and food markets—as key tourist attractions.
Core Industry Trend: Democratization of Culinary Tourism The focus of food travel is expanding beyond expensive, high-end restaurants to include accessible, budget-friendly, and equally authentic experiences found in local markets.
Core Consumer Motivation: Connection Through Cuisine The driving force is the desire to understand and connect with a culture on a deeper level, using the universal language of food.
Trend Implications for consumers and brands: The Experience Economy 2.0 The implication is that the most valuable travel experiences are no longer just provided, they are discovered. Brands and destinations must facilitate this discovery in their most authentic spaces.

Final Thought (summary): The rise of Trolley Tourism signals a profound maturation in the world of travel. The core consumer is now a Culinary Explorer, driven by a desire for Everyday Immersion that a five-star restaurant cannot always provide. This trend is a clear indicator that the future of tourism lies not in creating more attractions, but in revealing the authentic culture that already exists in the most ordinary of places. For the modern traveler, the heart of a destination is no longer found on a postcard, but in the vibrant, telling aisles of its local supermarket.