Give consumers
new ways to escape.
The top ten travel days in TSA history all occurred in 2024. The post-COVID travel explosion is even straining the local infrastructure and annoying residents at some destinations. But consumers clearly want to get away — and that need for escape impacts the foods and flavors they want to experience. They look for the memorable dishes and ingredients they experienced on their travels when they arrive back home, and they try foods from the countries they want to travel to in anticipation of or even in place of a trip. That also impacts their friends and family, who they introduce to those same global foods at home, restaurants, and through social media.
But travel isn’t the only way to escape. It can also mean escaping from the ordinary through a visceral experience. It can be about escaping from the worries and troubles of everyday life by enjoying a great meal together. In 2025, how can you give consumers new ways to escape?
67% of consumers — and 82% of Gen Z — say they are braver on vacation, trying new foods or activities
Where do consumers want to go in 2025?
We asked consumers to choose their top three travel destinations in the year ahead — this is what they chose. Consider how you can give them a taste of these dream travel destinations through menu items, ingredients, products, experiences, and specials.
26%
Domestic/U.S.
24%
Caribbean
24%
Europe
15%
Australia
14%
China, Japan, or India
13%
Anywhere Exotic
12%
Mexico
11%
Scandinavia/Nordic
9%
Southeast Asia
9%
Africa
8%
Pacific Islands
8%
South America
7%
Central America
6%
Middle East
5%
Antarctica
37% of consumers regularly look for foods, flavors, and ingredients from a place they’ve visited once they’re back home.
Consumers use foods and beverages to escape.
When we asked consumers if they typically used foods or beverages as a form of escapism, over 40% said both. In total, 70% of consumers say they use foods and/or beverages to escape in some way.
Whatever options they choose for escape — a little treat or indulgence, a functional product designed for stress relief or relaxation, an alcoholic beverage or cannabis edible — it’s clear that consumers turn to the food industry for escapism. How do you meet that need?
WHICH EXPERIENCES WOULD TAKE A DINING EXPERIENCE OR MEAL TO THE NEXT LEVEL?
36%
of consumers say food being served in unique ways takes a dining experience to the next level
WAYS TO TRANSPORT CONSUMERS
1 in 3
consumers say it happens when servers take care of their every need
23%
of consumers say it’s about being told the history or background of the chef and menu
1 in 5
consumers say an element of theater or performance takes a dining experience to the next level
WAYS TO ESCAPE
This year TikTok users were jumping on the Strega Nona Fall trend, taking inspiration from the beloved children’s book about an Italian witch who makes pasta. They gravitated to the cozy aesthetic, dreaming of an escape from the troubles of life where they could live more simply.
Social media users are constantly coming up with new ways to escape into other idealized lives, whether it’s living like a coastal grandmother or an Italian mob wife.
What other aesthetics or products of pop culture (movies, books, TV shows) can inspire your own innovation? How can you transport consumers to other times, places, and lives through a food or dining experience? How do you help them imagine themselves in an idealized version of life and let them escape, even for just a moment?
Ten escapist thought-starters for the year ahead
Do you know your core customer’s ultimate escape destination? How can you find out?
Consumers’ top travel destination for 2025 is the U.S. itself. How can you give them a taste of regional flavors or celebrations?
Many consumers maxed out their global travel budgets this year — how can you help them to escape to these destinations through food experiences?
Travel makes consumers bolder — how can you put them in a travel mindset to inspire bolder choices?
What sensory triggers can you use to evoke the feeling of being somewhere new? Aroma? Sound?
What would a version of your menu item, concept, or product look like that was the “ultimate escape” for a consumer?
How can you be a part of someone’s daily escape ritual?
How can you help a consumer escape into another persona, even for a moment?
How can you use technology to assist in escaping?
What are the most mundane moments that consumers experience with your product or brand? How can you transform them into a next-level, memorable experience?