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Booking.com’s Taste of Home Asia Pacific research reveals that food is playing a central role in shaping the holiday home experience in 2025. Travellers across the region are increasingly selecting holiday homes that offer accessibility and freedom to dine, host and cook in authentic spaces and destinations. These culinary moments are becoming more than just mealtime; they are opportunities for connection, cultural immersion and creating lasting memories.
The research, based on a commissioned survey of more than 8,000 travellers across Asia Pacific including New Zealand, reveals how food-driven experiences profoundly influence travel decisions. As travellers seek more meaningful and personalised stays, holiday homes have emerged as a key part of this evolving trend.
Holiday homes – the secret ingredient
Almost all Kiwi travellers (97 per cent) change their cooking and eating habits whilst travelling, with foodies choosing to frequent local markets (84 per cent), try new appliances (24 per cent), cook local dishes (22 per cent), and experiment with new recipes (19 per cent).
For New Zealanders, food significantly shapes travel decisions, with 74 per cent influenced by it when selecting destinations and almost three-quarters (71 per cent) having chosen a destination solely to visit a particular restaurant or food establishment.
When asked why they would choose to book a holiday home over other accommodation types, Kiwi respondents cited flexibility (53 per cent), privacy (51 per cent), kitchen access (50 per cent), and freedom to eat at any time (41 per cent).
Dining out is also a holiday highlight, with 52 per cent regularly eating at local restaurants whilst abroad and around one in four (27 per cent) booking holiday homes for better access to local dining experiences.
Four standout trends
The new head chef in the holiday home – The “chef” role is shifting. Only 14 per cent of Kiwi travellers default to their mum as cook, with younger generations now confidently taking the lead. Millennials (33 per cent) and Gen Z (30 per cent) most often cook family recipes. Gen Z (12 per cent) most frequently cook their own food, versus Millennials (6 per cent), Gen X (2 per cent) and Boomers (9 per cent). Nineteen per cent of Kiwis cook to host at their holiday homes, rising to 23 per cent for Gen Z.
Holiday kitchen personas – Four distinct holiday kitchen personalities are emerging across Asia Pacific:
Traditionalists (family recipes, 38 per cent; comfort foods, 33 per cent)
Experimenters (34 per cent try new recipes)
Minimalists (42 per cent prefer quicker meals)
Socialites (34 per cent lean towards communal cooking)
Trolley tourism – Holiday homes are fuelling a rise in “trolley tourism,” where local markets and supermarkets are part of the travel experience. More than four in five Kiwi travellers (84 per cent) enjoy visiting markets, rising to 91 per cent among frequent holiday-home bookers.
Portable pantry – Travellers bring favourite items with them, making kitchens familiar while exploring destinations. The majority of New Zealanders (83 per cent) pack food or cooking items, most commonly tea/coffee (41 per cent), wine/beer/spirits (40 per cent), chocolate (32 per cent), tomato sauce (26 per cent), and Kiwi classics such as Pineapple Lumps (25 per cent), Marmite/Vegemite (19 per cent), Milo (16 per cent), Kiwi Onion Dip (16 per cent) and Vogel’s (15 per cent).
Property choices
Travellers choose holiday homes that allow them to cook, dine and connect, from beachside barbecues to city kitchens. In New Zealand, more than half of foodie travellers (57 per cent) prefer beach houses. Other popular options include city apartments (49 per cent), baches (44 per cent), private villas (38 per cent) and lakeside cabins (35 per cent).
Holiday homes are also ideal for both relaxed getaways and celebrations: 40 per cent book purely to unwind, 26 per cent for birthdays or anniversaries, 24 per cent for trips with friends, and 20 per cent for wellness escapes.
“Booking.com’s Taste of Home research shows food is the centrepiece of holiday home travel,” says Booking.com Asia Pacific managing director Laura Houldsworth.
“Culinary experiences are becoming a key factor in travel decisions, transforming holiday homes into dynamic spaces for discovery and connection. Our research finds that for Kiwi travellers, memories created around the dining table are just as important as the journey itself.”
Booking.com says these findings will help property owners better understand traveller preferences. With more than 8.4 million holiday homes listed among its 31 million global listings, the platform aims to offer the widest possible choice of stays and support local tourism economies.
