ATM 2024: Why travellers to the UAE want Emirati cuisine

Tourists love an authentic experience with distinct local flavour. People coming to the UAE are looking for Emirati food, so it’s crucial to develop the cuisine, Samantha Wood, Founder, Publisher and Communications Consultant of FooDiva, told the Arabian Travel Market on Thursday.

She was speaking at the session “Find your 2024 niche: Top trends to tap in gastronomy,” moderated by Jonathan DeLise, Freelance Food and travel Writer for FindingFoodFluency. Christophe Hobeika, Executive Director of Hotels and Resorts at Sunset Hospitality Group, and Harue Oki, Middle East representative of Japan National Tourism Organisation, also weighed in.

Although almost all cuisines in the world can be found in the UAE, Emirati food hasn’t generated enough interest among residents. As a result, Emirati restaurants are not easy to come by. But that’s changing.

How is the Emirati food scene?

“We’re beginning to see inroads into Emirati cuisine because when people come here on holiday, they want to experience cuisine from this region. In the same way, when you go to Japan, you’re looking to go to sushi restaurants and yakitori [grilled chicken and scallion skewers] restaurants. When you go to Italy, you’re going to eat pizza and pasta. So it’s crucial that [Emirati cuisine] is also developed here. We are seeing inroads in that field,” Wood said.

The Emirati food scene has been evolving. “Many Emirati restaurants we know have a lot of Emirati chefs cooking, and they are beginning to get investment behind them to open their own restaurants. So it’s definitely changed over the last couple of years and will continue to grow,” the fooDiva founder said.

But few travellers would want to go into the desert and experience that lifestyle in terms of food. Wood said that isn’t a priority for a foodie traveller, although some people would want to add that to their bucket list.

Hobeika said you have to make it authentic and not so touristy. Or else, there won’t be any real demand. “If I’m invited to an Emirati friend’s house to have Emirati cuisine, I’m much more likely to do that. [When you] take a desert trip, you will be among tourists. I think there is a lot of tourist phobia. You want more authentic things. We have to work on that in the UAE,” he added.

Food is at the centre of tourists’ agenda. These foodies want to savour Middle Eastern dishes when they come to the region; that’s only natural. “A foodie generally plans their holidays around their restaurant reservations. I do get asked, ‘We want to experience an Emirati restaurant or a Levantine restaurant, whether it’s a modern concept or something traditional’. So, there’s a lot more demand,” Wood said.

Why sustainability matters

Local food is integral to the local experience, which many tourists crave. Hobeika said there’s an increased interest in having local experiences for their hotel guests. “They [guests] no longer want to dine in hotel restaurants. They want to feel whatever cuisine they’re choosing, whether it be local [or not], is really authentic.

Another trend is an increased shift towards sustainability, which means using more home-grown produce to reduce the carbon footprint and eco-friendly products. “We try as much as possible to prioritise local produce. Sometimes it’s challenging on the protein side, but I would say 99% of the time, we can get everything local and single-use plastic does not exist in our hotels anymore, Hobeika said, adding that everyone is becoming more and more aware of sustainability.

Wood admitted it’s a challenge in the UAE. “If you look at the supply chain of fruits and vegetables, as much as we have tremendous choice here, sometimes you’re lacking consistency. So if you’re a restaurant that needs certain dishes on the menu, especially signature dishes that feature certain vegetables, then you need those every day. Often it works out more expensive to source locally than it does to import,” she said.

Why innovation is important

Innovation is the key to keeping interest alive by offering new experiences for the newer generations. Hobeika said, “We’re seeing increased interest in having a connection with the food. So it’s not any more a transaction. People want an experience and are also seeking more culturally connected experiences. They want to have cooking classes. They want to explore what’s happening.”

When you think of Japanese food, sushi, tempura, and Ramen noodles come to mind. There’s much more than that, Oki said, adding that street food is getting very popular. “For example, there’s a cheesecake, a fluffy cheesecake or a shaking cheesecake. It’s a street food, but these menus [food] are adopted in the hotels and fancy restaurants,” she said.

Authentic local experiences, sustainability and innovation top the tourists’ list of preferences. They make travelling a joy.