Are you a gastro-tourist? It’s not a term I use very much but maybe I should! It was The New York Times that got me thinking. Reporting on the announcement of the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants a few days ago, the Times listed the familiar criticisms of the way the list is compiled. Also read | The Taste by Vir Sanghvi: Is the era of the anonymous restaurant critic over?

Though these criticisms have been made before — ever since the list was hijacked by food PR agencies and so-called influencers — and the Times was more restrained in its sneering compared to many food platforms, I was struck by one term in the report.

After commenting on the deeply unsatisfactory way the list is compiled (rumours say that 50 Best will soon clean up its act, but who knows?) The Times added “Nonetheless, the list has become a popular tool for gastrotourists.”

I asked around and discovered that it was indeed a burgeoning trend. Many tourists plan whole vacations just to eat at one or two of the restaurants on the list. This involves booking months in advance (because most of these restaurants are always full) and then, only if the reservation comes through, will the mechanics of the trip — buying air tickets, booking hotels etc — be considered.

It’s different from other kinds of tourism in the sense that, if you and I go to Italy then all the things we want to see, from the........

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