As one of the world’s major tourist destinations, Egypt targets holiday and business travelers with nearly 3,000 kilometers of shoreline along the Red Sea and Mediterranean, deserts, ancient historical sites and museums, and near-endless entertainment options.

However, one tourism draw remains underutilized: foreign visitors eager to experience authentic cuisines reflecting the destination’s history (gastronomic tourism). “Egypt stands at a pivotal moment to showcase its distinctive flavors and culinary traditions,” Sarah Samir, a reporter for Arab Finance, a regional publication, wrote in July. “Its rich and diverse culinary heritage, influenced by Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and African cultures, is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this growing trend.”

On the ground, turning local traditional food businesses into household tourist-attracting brands that top foreign visitors’ “must try” lists is rare. 

“Success in attracting food tourists comes from creating a local dish that [the restaurant owner] likes, [having a] great palate to make it a cut above the rest, decades of consistent delivery, location, and a grounded mindset,” says Hassan Yusuf Zaki, CEO of Koshary Abou Tarek restaurant, which holds Tripadvisor’s “Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best” badge for 2024, after “ranking in the top 1% of properties worldwide,” according to the platform. This third-generation family-owned restaurant also remains the only one listed in the Guinness Book of Records, having made the world’s biggest koshary plate (a mix of rice, two pasta shapes, black lentils, red sauce, humus, and fried onions). 

Focusing on developing Egypt’s gastronomic tourism, alongside traditional beach, desert, and historical tourism, should prove crucial for the government to achieve its 2030 target of increasing the number of tourists from 15.8 million to over 30 million.

Celebrating food

Egypt’s gastronomic economy is “not only known for its rich flavors, but also its ability to cater to diverse dietary preferences and offer authentic cultural experiences,” noted research from the Faculty of Tourism at Matrouh University.

As it stands, Egypt showcases the culinary scene mainly through annual food festivals. In 2014, the Cairo Bites Festival became Egypt’s first food event. The two-day gathering, which requires an entrance fee, features well-known food brands, a class led by celebrity chefs, and cooking competitions.

Organized in 2022, Cairo Food Week lasts 10 days, inviting international chefs to collaborate with local talent to create new and hybrid recipes. The festival’s venue changes daily along with the featured chefs. “Our vision for Cairo Food Week has always been to shine a light on Egyptian cuisine and nurture a sense of collaboration across the industry,” the event’s founder, Hoda El-Sherif, told Eat Go See, a travel portal. 

The Bites by the Sea Festival takes place in the Mediterranean city of Alamein each August during the North Coast summer season. The event highlights signature Mediterranean dishes, primarily from Turkey, Morocco, and Italy.   

Such events have elevated Egypt’s culinary reputation over the years. “By embracing its food heritage and leveraging modern digital storytelling, Egypt can establish itself as a premier destination for travelers seeking authentic and immersive food experiences,” said Samir.

Building the destination

To take the next step in promoting Egypt’s gastronomic tourism, Matrouh University’s research said it needs to “encompass a range of food activities: from eating out at ethnic restaurants and perusing cookbooks for new recipes to sampling new foods.”

Additionally, the government and tourist-targeting restaurants need to recognize that “culinary tourism involves numerous issues with many that go along with tourism in general, as well as some that are specific to food [production].”

Another dimension in building a culinary tourism destination is telling stories about the dishes served. “While most culinary tourism focuses on the experience of dining and tasting of new foods as a commercial enterprise, it is also an educational initiative … learning through it about the culture of a particular cuisine, the people involved in producing and preparing it, the food system enabling access to those foods and the potential contribution of tourists to sustainability.”

Also, there must be a “clear” definition of Egypt’s cuisine using “definite individual characteristics so it is recognized,” the research paper said. That is critical as gastronomic tourists are “more knowledgeable, have more disposable income and more leisure time to travel.” As such, they care more about whether “the food and environment reflect the genuine or real taste and culture of the ethnic origin.”

The Matrouh University paper also noted that gastronomic tourism isn’t just about the food. The “restaurant experience, ambiance, has been shown to be a powerful factor in customer satisfaction,” the research paper said.

Lastly, an emerging trend is seeing “growers … band together and market their products along with their farms as tourism destinations,” the Matrouh University paper said. “In this way, they … have more variety of products and activities to offer tourists, therefore attracting more tourists as well as giving them reasons to stay longer at their destination.”

Exclusive industry?

To attract any foreign visitor, hotels “play a very significant role, as all tourists need a place to stay at their destinations and require many more services and facilities to suit their specific needs and tastes,” the paper said. In culinary tourism, these facilities can also serve as a starting point for gastronomic tourists unfamiliar with Egypt’s cuisine.

Beyond that, the local culinary experience falls to restaurants. They “range from unpretentious dining places with simple food served in simple settings at low prices to expensive establishments serving refined food and wines in a formal setting,” the paper said.

That is where complications arise. “Many times people hear ‘culinary tourism’ and they think it means restaurants that have earned five stars or better,” the research said. “That is not the case, as culinary tourism is not exclusively what is exaggerated or exclusive. Culinary tourism includes local [restaurants], an interesting bar on a nameless street that only locals know about.” 

However, not all traditional, authentic food venues can attract tourists. “Standard culinary tourism focuses on high-quality and memorable dining experiences. That means an emphasis on artisan production,” the report said. “Not all producers are able to fit those criteria, and not all foods will be attractive to tourists, so those producers are then left out of the tourist economy even though they may be necessary and integral to the local culture.”

Another crucial factor for authentic food restaurants to attract tourists is their location. They ideally should be situated at the intersection of the main foot traffic for both local target customers and tourists. “Our location downtown is very close to the workshop area in Champillon Street, where most of our local customers work. There are also many government offices, tour operators, and the original Egyptian museum,” said Zaki of Koshary Abou Tarek. “What happened was that tourists would see locals eating at our place, and they naturally became curious. So, tour operators, cautiously at first, checked our food to ensure it was hygienic and not too heavy. When it checked out, they started sending their clients to us.”  

Know your guest

The Matrouh University research paper describes one type of gastronomic tourist as “recreational” who “prefers familiar foods to feel safe and comfortable … They seek fast-food chains, packaged tour foods and restaurants with a predictable menu.”

The second type is the “diversionary” visitor. “They love to party and are social, but aren’t really concerned about the setting,” the research paper said. “They would rather not take the time and power to research dining.”  

The third type are “existentialists … They seek out local and district cuisine, and eat where the locals eat.”  Venues have to be “individual, environmental, anti-elite and social.” 

Fourth is the “experimental” gastronomic tourist. “They are trendy and embrace the latest foods, flavors, and cooking techniques,” the Matrouh University paper said. “They seek out restaurants with innovative menus, smart designs, and chic service. They travel for personal indulgence, to experience the good life with fine cuisine and being pampered.”

Lastly, there are high-profile guests whose presence elevates the destination’s profile among both international and local tourists. A case in point was in May, when Koshary Abou Tarek received U.S. Senior Adviser for Africa Massad Boulos, who stood behind the food counter preparing his own koshary dish. In June, Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meini-Resinger also visited and made a koshary plate. 

Going too far?

On the plus side, gastronomic tourism will promote “locally grown food produced with sustainable farming methods … bringing money to those growers and helping them establish themselves as feasible links in the food chain,” the report said. Another positive is that “culinary tourism … brings attention to better ingredients [and] preparation styles.”

Such benefits increase as “many tourists now seek out local and organic foods, actually creating a market for foods formerly ignored and supporting farmers [hurt by] the more industrial agriculture-based global food system,” the report said.

However, aggressively promoting culinary tourism can damage the supply chains that support this type of tourism. The research paper raised concerns that some food sellers turn to imports when local capacity cannot meet demand for locally made dishes during tourist high seasons.

In addition, too much gastronomic activity can “trivialize and trinketize cultural practices and forms, turning them into ‘playthings’ and souvenirs for tourists,” the Matrouh University paper said. Besides being “demeaning to the host culture, [it] potentially weakens the emotional and social associations they carry, causing them to shift away from expressing cultural histories, identities and beliefs.”

To preserve the integrity of the Koshary Abou Tarek brand, the third-generation owners are exercising considerable restraint. According to Zaki, he holds back from investing directly in other locations, continues to depend on word-of-mouth and professional media outlets for promotion, and has no plans to expand the menu. 

“We have introduced only complementary items, such as baladi salad and fried bread,” said Zaki. “We listen to what our customers are asking for. But we decide whether this would detract from or enhance our core offering: the koshary plate.”