Netflix show causes food tourism increase

South Korean Netflix show “Culinary Class Wars,” which concluded its second season on Jan. 13, has been making waves in the food industry.

Reservations and waitlists for contestants’ restaurants increased by an average of 303%, five weeks after the show’s second premiere compared to the five weeks before, according to a report from restaurant booking platform CatchTable released through South Korean media.

“Culinary Class Wars” categorizes chefs into “Black Spoons” (hidden masters) and “White Spoons” (elite) chefs, mirroring the dichotomy between street food and Michelin-starred experiences, and viewers have been eager to taste from both ends of the spectrum.

This is particularly true for millennials — those born between 1981 and 1996 — and Generation Z, born in 1996 or later, who want to experience cultures other than their own, according to Euromonitor International’s Asia-Pacific 2025 lifestyle survey.

In Singapore, food was one of the main drivers of record tourism spending between January and September 2025, according to the Singapore Tourism Board. Tourist receipts for food and beverage increased by 15% when compared to the same period in 2024, despite only a 2.3% increase in overall visitors.

And in Japan, around 82% of tourists reported that eating Japanese food was one of their travel expectations in 2024, up from about 70% in 2015.

Food is a way for travelers to experience authentic culture, according to Erik Wolf, executive director and founder of the World Food Travel Association.

“It’s less about the travel and more about the culture everywhere in the world. Especially after the pandemic, people are wanting to go to more rural locations, secondary and tertiary locations. They want to get to know people, and in a genuine way,” Wolf told CNBC during a call.