TRENZ Unpacked: Why Food Is Becoming One of New Zealand’s Biggest Travel Motivators

About this episode

This episode explores how food is becoming a major travel motivator in New Zealand, featuring insights from Elle Armon-Jones on culinary experiences and trends in food tourism.

Food is no longer just something visitors enjoy while they’re here - it’s increasingly the reason they choose a destination in the first place. In this episode of TRENZ Unpacked, Michelle catches up with Elle Armon-Jones from The Big Foody, who has spent the past 15 years introducing visitors to New Zealand through curated culinary experiences across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and cruise ports around the country. They explore how food tours help visitors understand the deeper story of a destination, why Auckland’s dining scene is having a real moment right now, and what international travellers are increasingly looking for when they book culinary experiences in New Zealand. Elle shares insights into emerging trends in food tourism, the growing demand for hands-on experiences like markets and cooking sessions, and why storytelling and human connection are still the most powerful ingredients in any visitor experience. They also talk about what buyers attending TRENZ should notice about Auckland this year - and why the city deserves more than just a gateway stop on a New Zealand itinerary. Plus, Ellie shares her top Auckland recommendations for delegates with a free…

People in this episode

Host: Michelle

Guest: Elle Armon-Jones

Topics covered

• food tourism
• culinary experiences
• travel motivations
• Auckland dining scene
• food tours
• visitor experiences

Keywords

• food tourism
• culinary experiences
• New Zealand travel
• Auckland dining
• food tours
• TRENZ
• visitor experiences

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Big Foody

Places: New Zealand, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin

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