www.railfan.com/onthemenu The Next Big Thing!?*
ONE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE around railway excursion operators for very long to learn there are two big events that drive large numbers of families to their facilities. You probably guessed them already: Thomas the Tank Engine’s seasonal Day Out with Thomas and Chris Van Allsberg’s holiday- themed The Polar Express. Despite some grumbling heard about contract details, or merchandise pricing and stocking require- ments, or market saturation, those who have offered these events tend to keep doing so, and those who don’t often express a de- sire to join the list of those who do. These repeated conversations, both joined and overheard, got me to thinking about how one might create a similar phenomenon that appeals to adults. The answer is right in front of me, and has been for 20 years: Rail dining. Combine that experience with wine tastings and pairings, and with other culinary experiences — cooking demonstra- tions, kitchen tools and appliances exhibi- tions, and the like — and you have a proven attention-getter. How big is the market for such an event?
Research done by the Travel Indus- try Association in 2006 found that 25.8 million self-identified leisure travelers “consider themselves to be people who travel to learn about or enjoy unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences.” (Note: That, by the way, leaves an- other 126.2 million “leisure travel- ers” looking for something interest- ing to do, and they all have to eat.) Among the 25.8 million who in-
clude eating and drinking experi- ences in their plans, 15.2 million said they had “participated in food- related activities while on a trip in the previous three years.” Some 28
per cent of those people said, “I took one or more trips where the availability of food-re- lated activities was a key reason I took the trip,” and 29 per cent acknowledged making one or more trips where the availability of food-related activities “helped me choose be- tween potential destinations.” Even those who don’t plan their trips around food-relat- ed activities nonetheless reported seeking or coming upon such activities at least once, and wound up engaging in the event. Depending on the average number of ex- periences those 25.8 million people had, the number of event participants only scales up- ward. If the average is 2.1, for example, we’re talking about a market totaling 54.1 million.
Similarly impressive numbers reveal
among “wine travelers,” where 35 per cent — making them slightly more passionate than we foodies — indicated wine-related activi- ties was a key reason for the trip, while 15 per cent said such activities “helped me choose between potential destinations.” About those destinations: among the 18 that came to mind unaided among survey
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