Culinary tourism too juicy to ignore
But let’s offer healthy options, too
Saddle up and get ready to eat. Indiana’s own tenderloin trail is in the works. As IBJ’s Jennifer Whitson reports on page 3 this week, area tourism boosters have formed the Indiana Foodways Alliance in hope of, well, boosting culinary tourism in the Hoosier state. It’s a surprisingly lucrative endeavor. A national study found that about 16 million Americans plan their vacations around food—and spend an average of $1,271 per trip. Indiana is smart to try for a slice of that pie. Despite all the moaning we hear about yet another chain restaurant setting up shop here—which, oddly enough, alternates with longing for other chains that aren’t interested—there are some excellent, one-of-a-kind restaurants throughout the state. And central Indiana is particularly blessed. Anyone who has ever cleared their sinuses with a big bite of St. Elmo’s shrimp cocktail or uncorked a bottle of wine in the Bonge’s Tavern parking lot can attest to that. Although not exactly known as a hotbed of tourism, Indiana nevertheless attracts nearly 60 million leisure visitors who spend almost $7 billion here each year. Yes, our secret’s getting out, and culinary tourism can only help draw people looking for something more than hot beaches and cold drinks. But here’s the thing: There’s more than tenderloin in Indiana. Sure, Hoosiers love deep-fried delicacies as much as the next guy—maybe more so, given our ninth-fattest national ranking—but we also enjoy farm-fresh produce and a nice piece of fish. Indiana is nationally known for producing corn, soybeans, duck and pork, according to Indiana Foodways Alliance Director Susan C. Haller, and it makes sense to try to leverage an existing strength. That said, anyone who’s ever had the “Hoosier Hog Heaven” at Fletcher’s of Atlanta can tell you pork doesn’t have to be fried to taste good. Granted, the tenderloin trail is still being developed, and its stops may well offer ample healthy options when complete. But the wish list of future culinary attractions isn’t much better: trails featuring pies, candy and pizza are among the ideas being tossed around. What about the farmer’s markets that provide a sampling of the best home-grown grub around? Or the farms themselves, turning out everything from melons to meat? And then there are the actual trails—the recreation paths throughout the state that attract runners, bikers and bladers alike. There’s plenty of good grub there for residents and visitors to try. Culinary tourism is an opportunity too rich to pass up, but let’s not fall into the trap of trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator. • To comment on this editorial, write to ibjedit@ibj.com.
