Tourism, Organisations & Operators, Food & Beverage,

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is introducing “THE MICHELIN EXPERIENCE @ ISAN” activity to promote Thai-Isan food culture and congratulate 33 entries from four representative cities of the Northeast or “Isan” region included in the Bib Gourmand list in the new MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2023 edition.
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said “Thailand’s fantastic culinary scene indeed helps strengthen the kingdom’s status as a world-class dining destination. Food also forms part of the kingdom’s soft-power foundations that continue to be highlighted in the ‘Visit Thailand Year 2023 Amazing New Chapters’ campaign.”
With Northeast Thailand featured for the first time, The MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2023 now features 441 dining venues in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phuket and Phang-nga, and four new Isan provinces of Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Ubon Ratchathani, and Udon Thani.

THE MICHELIN EXPERIENCE @ ISAN activity shined a spotlight on Thai-Isan food culture, and celebrated the inclusion of the region in the sixth edition of the MICHELIN Guide Thailand.ADVERTISEMENTOut of 69 entries from the four Isan cities, 33 are highlighted in the Bib Gourmand list. These are nine entries in Nakhon Ratchasima, 11 in Khon Kaen, six in Ubon Ratchathani, and seven in Udon Thani.
As well as presenting congratulatory certificates to new entries from Isan, the event also promoted popular menus from Bib Gourmand-listed restaurants in Udon Thani;, namely VT Namnueng, Matcha Pha Suk, Krua Khun-Nid Restaurant, Peng Duck Noodle, Madam Pahtehh 2515, Arunee Namnueng, and Larb Nua.

The partnership between TAT and The MICHELIN Guide began in 2017 with the launch of The MICHELIN Guide Bangkok 2018. The success throughout the first five years resulted in the project being extended for another five years from 2022 to 2026. This guarantees continued promotion of gastronomy tourism in Thailand to the highest international level.
Two papers – one by Kenetixs Consulting on Gastronomy Tourism in Thailand and the other an assessment by Ernst and Young of The MICHELIN Guide Thailand from 2017-2020 – similarly concluded that economic value had been created for the country on several fronts.
This included an increase in food spending by foreign tourists by double in 2019 to 842.4 million Baht and the creation of 4,800 additional jobs in the food-related sector. Also seen was the attraction of more foreign chefs coming to work in Thailand, and encouragement of investment in fine-dining in the country.
In addition, the latest assessment by Kenetixs Consulting on Gastronomy Tourism in Thailand and of The MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022 found positive impressions from foreign tourists who had experienced MICHELIN restaurants. For example, 98% of them would recommend dining at a Michelin restaurant to others, and 94% of them would travel to dine at other Michelin restaurants around Thailand.
Last but not least, in line with the kingdom’s increased drive towards more sustainable and inclusive tourism, TAT also places emphasis on promoting the MICHELIN Green Star distinction – given to those restaurants that embody and embrace sustainability in their day-to-day operations. Currently, there are three MICHELIN Green Star restaurants; namely, PRU, Haoma, and Jampa.

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Nobu Hospitality and Simon welcomed local dignitaries and community leaders today to celebrate the opening of Nobu Hotel & Restaurant Atlanta at Phipps Plaza. The property serves as Nobu’s 15th location overall and first in Georgia, making its debut in the Buckhead community at the modern, reimagined, mixed-use Phipps Plaza.Designed by Rockwell Group, the hotel features 152 stylish guest rooms and suites, including a striking rooftop pool with surrounding event space, corporate conference rooms and a state-of-the-art fitness center with Technogym equipment. Nobu Atlanta Restaurant, celebrated for its signature new style Japanese cuisine, will welcome diners to the new 10,000-square-foot space, serving iconic Nobu dishes alongside specialties featuring local, homegrown ingredients.
“It’s an honor to launch the Nobu brand in Atlanta’s vibrant Buckhead community at Phipps Plaza,” said Nobu Hospitality Group CEO Trevor Horwell. “Our approach to hospitality – embracing sophisticated accommodations and outstanding cuisine – will offer guests the ultimate luxury lifestyle experience in the heart of Atlanta.” 
Phipps Plaza is an unrivaled mixed-use development that redefines the way Buckhead lives, works, plays and shops. This iconic shopping and dining destination is now headlined by Nobu Hotel & Restaurant Atlanta and all its world-class amenities. In early December, Life Time and Life Time Work will open its 90,000-square-foot luxury athletic country club and 30,000-square-foot premium coworking destination. This comes in addition to the now open One Phipps Plaza, a 365,000-square-foot, LEED certified, 13-story, Class A office tower. Early next year, Citizens Culinary Market, a 24,000-square-foot upscale lifestyle food concept, is scheduled to open, injecting new culinary concepts into the destination’s iconic footprint.
“We’re excited to celebrate the opening of Nobu Hotel & Restaurant Atlanta as our vision of Phipps Plaza becomes a reality for guests to enjoy – from the Southeast and beyond,” said Simon Property Group Senior Vice President, Development & Asset Intensification Patrick Peterman. “Nobu’s unique allure and high-end reputation reinforces Phipps Plaza as a world-class destination for hospitality, shopping, dining, work and entertainment.”

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As the travel industry’s recovery gathers pace, many tourist boards are looking to differentiate themselves from rival destinations by focusing on their cuisine rather than traditional natural hotspots, cities or coastal locations, says GlobalData, the data and analytics company.
According to GlobalData’s Ads Database, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) for Turkey, Malta, and Indonesia have focused on their national cuisine to entice new tourists. Marketing campaigns have included glossy images and short videos covering traditional cooking methods to boost cultural appeal. The development of these marketing campaigns appears to be in response to growing demand for international cuisine and culinary experiences, with DMOs using this to gain a competitive advantage over rival destinations.
Craig Bradley, Associate Travel & Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “DMOs appear to be reacting to a change in traveler sentiment towards gastronomy. Development of this trend has been brought on by the pandemic, which has helped broaden the palates of many tourists despite the closure of many restaurants during 2020 and 2021.
“Many restaurants needed to adapt to pandemic restrictions to survive, so they started selling meals via food delivery services such as Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats. These services have made international cuisines more accessible to consumers than ever before due to their low-touch service offering, intuitive smartphone apps, and efficient mobile payment systems. As a result, global awareness of alternative international cuisines has increased considerably enabling tourist boards to utilise this in attractive marketing campaigns to entice potential tourists.”
This trend is unlikely to slow either, with the food delivery market set to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7% between 2021 and 2025, according to a 2021 GlobalData Food Insights & Trends report. As a result, millions of individuals will continue to sample new cuisines and flavors from their local restaurants.ADVERTISEMENTAccording to a GlobalData Q4 2021 Global Consumer Survey, 47% of respondents said that they find the broader availability of cuisines the most appealing reason to consume food and drink outside of the home, highlighting the global appetite for experiencing new flavors. It is reasonable to assume that the same sentiment applies to tourists within a destination. Many will be enthusiastic about encountering local culture and customs, including food and drink.
Bradley concludes: “In response to this development in consumer tastes, tourist boards have recognised an opportunity to use regional cuisine to create original marketing campaigns that can convey local culture within the tourist experience. This will be particularly attractive to niche tourists and millennial tourists, who typically search for more unique experiences.
“However, it is important to note that linking destination marketing with gastronomic experiences is nothing new. Still, this type of promotional strategy is likely to grow in importance for DMOs as shown by Malta, Indonesia and Turkey, due to consumers becoming more exposed to culinary experiences.”

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NYC & Company, the official destination marketing organisation and convention and visitors bureau for the five boroughs of New York City, launched a new centralised resource for locals and visitors, the Halal Travel Guide. The evergreen resource is the first-ever Halal Travel Guide released by a US tourism organisation, dedicated to highlighting and encouraging visitation to the abundance of halal restaurants, Muslim history and art exhibitions across the five boroughs as well as sharing tips and advice from Muslim travel experts. 
“We are proud to launch this all-new travel resource celebrating the incredibly rich and diverse Muslim travel experiences found in New York City,” said Fred Dixon, President and CEO at NYC & Company. “The Muslim community has been an integral part of the fabric of our City for nearly 400 years and we are committed to showcasing the authentic Halal offerings and more found across the five boroughs.” 
The Halal Travel Guide was created by NYC & Company, in partnership with the world-leading, halal-friendly travel authority Halal Trip/Crescent Rating. The PDF guidebook highlights Muslim-friendly New York City offerings by borough.
The Muslim community has more than 275 mosques spread across all five boroughs—more than any other metro area in the US. The borough of Brooklyn is home to one of the world’s most diverse Muslim communities, representing descendants from every continent and is also the home of one of the nation’s oldest surviving mosques located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The guide includes prayer places and the distance/time from the attractions, restaurants, and hotels.
The Halal Travel Guide includes dining recommendations for every cuisine type, such as Eatzy Thai in Queens, Junoon in Manhattan, Al Aqsa in the Bronx, Al Humza Restaurant in Staten Island, Bagel Point in Brooklyn, among others. Muslim-friendly hotels include Conrad New York Midtown, Lotte New York Palace, The Plaza Hotel and more.  ADVERTISEMENTNew content and information will be added on a regular, ongoing basis at nycgo.com/HalalTravelGuide.
NYC & Company is considered North America’s Leading Business Travel Destination 2021 by voters at the World Travel Awards.

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