Indian Cuisine Among Top 10 Most Preferred Food Across Globe: Study

Mumbai: Indian cuisine is among the top 10 most preferred food by global travellers while on holidays, according to a new worldwide food survey by Hotels.com.

About five per cent of international travellers preferred Indian cuisine when on holiday, the survey that covered over 27,000 travellers said today.

The survey shows there is a tough competition for more traditional favourites such as Italian and French cuisine.

International travellers favour mostly Italian (32 per cent) and French (24 per cent) cuisine while travelling or on holidays, whereas the dishes from the 'Land of the Rising Sun' Japan are gaining popularity among more cosmopolitan palates with 18 per cent, it said.

Several other Asian countries and regions appear in the top 10 list, including mainland China (13 per cent), Thailand (8 per cent) and Taiwan (5 per cent).

The popularity of 'Paella and Tapas' could have contributed to Spain clinching fifth place (11 per cent) on the list, while those who love burger and fries have helped the US to secure sixth place (10 per cent) in the table.

Meanwhile, Indian travellers feel the world's best local food is found in India (38 per cent) followed by the US (31 per cent) and China (17 per cent).

Within India, travellers voted for the capital city of New Delhi (33 per cent) as having the best local food, followed by Mumbai (20 per cent) at second place and Kolkata at a close 18 per cent, it added.

Since Indians are known to be family oriented, they voted London, New York and Paris as the best cities in the world for family dining, it said.

Hotels.com is a leading online accommodation booking website with over 150,000 properties around the world, ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favourites and bed & breakfasts, together with all information needed to book the perfect stay.