Avanti Destinations has widened its menu of culinary Tours, giving travel advisors even more ways to weave hands-on food and beverage experiences into custom FIT vacations. The new options span Europe, Asia, and the Americas, ranging from a private chocolate workshop in Switzerland to a treetop tasting menu in Costa Rica. Each experience can plug into Avanti Destinations' fixed-price packages or form the anchor of a multi-destination journey.
Key Points
- Ten new experiences spotlight food, wine, beer, and cooking.
- Products slot into tailor-made or fixed itineraries worldwide.
- Why it matters: Foodie activities remain Avanti Destinations' top-selling tour category.
- Advisors can mix private, small-group, and shared formats.
- Three new wine programs debut in France, Italy, and Chile.
Avanti Destinations Snapshot - How It Works
The Portland-based tour operator sells exclusively through travel advisors, supplying modular components that snap together into bespoke trips. Advisors choose from more than 300 culinary Tours, private transfers, rail segments, and boutique lodging, then price the finished package in U.S. dollars before ticketing. Digital documents, 24-hour in-country support, and a single commissionable invoice simplify the selling process. The platform also delivers turnkey fixed itineraries, letting less-experienced advisors quote air-land combos in minutes while still leaning on the firm's on-the-ground partners.
Avanti Destinations Background Brief - Why Add It
Founded in 1981, Avanti Destinations built its reputation on independent European rail vacations before expanding to Latin America, Asia, and Oceania. Over the past decade, its fastest-growing segment has been culinary Tours, fueled by travelers seeking authentic, educational encounters beyond traditional sightseeing. Earlier launches included pasta-making in Bologna and ceviche classes in Lima. Data from the company show food-focused add-ons lifting average per-booking revenue by nearly 18 percent, a trend that accelerated as post-pandemic travelers prioritized local immersion.
Avanti Destinations Latest Developments
Avanti Destinations released the newest slate of foodie experiences on June 25, 2025, branding them as easy plug-ins for both stand-alone city breaks and longer multi-country circuits. Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Avanti Destinations explained that each program was vetted for quality, cultural depth, and advisor profitability, with scheduled departures through 2026.
European Highlights
Advisors can now slot a two-hour private chocolate workshop at Interlaken's Funky Chocolate Club into Switzerland itineraries or add an eight-hour chauffeured Champagne crawl from Reims that pairs boutique growers with an exclusive Moet & Chandon cellar tour. Italy gains two crowd-pleasers: a three-hour small-group pizza lab with lunch in seaside Sorrento and a Florence walking Safari that layers espresso stops, fritto Toscana bites, truffle-kissed schiacciata, curated charcuterie, Chianti pours, and artisanal gelato.
Latin America and the Caribbean
Costa Rica headlines the Americas rollout. In Monteverde, diners ascend 50 feet into the canopy for a nine-course tasting menu served in a glass-box perch. Near Arenal, a private garden-to-table session has participants harvesting produce before turning it into traditional dishes. Farther south, a six-hour Private Local Life tour in Santiago, Chile incorporates two markets, the guide's favorite lunch spot, and optional vineyard detours that dovetail with Avanti Destinations' new Chilean wine tastings.
Asia-Pacific and Beyond
Bangkok debuts a five-hour dinner Cruise aboard a restored vintage barge that glides along the Chao Phraya River past lit-up temples while serving regional specialties. Copenhagen's hip Norrebro district joins the lineup with a three-hour street-art-meets-food walk limited to eight guests. Additional wine programs in France, Italy, and Chile round out the collection, each available as a private or shared option depending on budget and group size.
Across the board, advisors can book the Tours as published or request tweaks-such as vegetarian menus or extended cellar visits-through the company's agent portal. The tours appear automatically inside suggested multi-destination templates, a feature designed to reduce itinerary-building time by up to 30 percent, according to internal tests.
Analysis
Culinary Tours consistently outperform general sightseeing when it comes to client satisfaction, repeat bookings, and social-media engagement. By enlarging its food-and-drink roster, Avanti Destinations strengthens its value proposition against OTA self-booking and rival FIT suppliers. Advisors benefit in three ways. First, the tours raise average trip spend without lengthening travel days, preserving the relaxed pacing today's leisure clients crave. Second, the diversity of formats-private, small group, shared-lets agents match experiences to budget tiers, widening the potential client pool. Third, the hands-on nature of cooking classes and tasting walks breeds strong word-of-mouth referrals, an organic marketing engine pivotal for advisors with limited ad budgets.
Risk factors remain. Inflation in Europe and currency volatility in Latin America could pressure supplier costs, forcing future price adjustments. Advisors should quote in dollars and monitor exchange clauses inside their agency agreements. They should also confirm mobility requirements; the tree-top dining in Monteverde, for instance, is unsuitable for travelers with height aversions or limited stair access. Travel Insurance policies covering missed Tours and supplier default add an extra safeguard, aligning with best practices outlined in our custom-itineraries guide.
Final Thoughts
Demand for memorable, Instagram-ready meals has never been higher. By injecting ten fresh experiences into its catalog, Avanti Destinations arms advisors with turnkey tools to satisfy that appetite and to differentiate their service in a crowded market. Pair any new tour with flexible rail passes or boutique lodging for a complete package, flag special dietary notes early, and remind clients to reserve peak-season slots at least 90 days ahead. Savvy advisors who master these culinary Tours today will have a portfolio of success stories ready to share tomorrow-yet another reason to keep Avanti Destinations top of mind.