{"id":2000106229,"date":"2026-03-23T13:33:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T11:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/?p=2000106229"},"modified":"2026-03-23T13:07:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T11:07:45","slug":"south-korean-netflix-show-drives-303-surge-in-restaurant-bookings-and-culinary-tourism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/south-korean-netflix-show-drives-303-surge-in-restaurant-bookings-and-culinary-tourism\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korean Netflix show drives 303% surge in restaurant bookings and culinary tourism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Data from restaurant booking platform CatchTable shows that reservations jumped an average of 303% in the five weeks following the second season premiere compared to the five weeks prior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The show distinguishes chefs as \u201cBlack Spoons\u201d (hidden masters) and \u201cWhite Spoons\u201d (elite), highlighting both street food and fine dining. Fans, particularly millennials and Generation Z, are increasingly seeking these culinary experiences as part of cultural travel, according to Euromonitor International\u2019s Asia-Pacific 2025 lifestyle survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Travel experts note the trend is shaping tourism strategies across Asia. South Korea has incorporated food tourism into its 2026 plans, while Singapore saw a 15% rise in tourist spending on food and beverages in 2025. In Japan, more than 80% of tourists now expect to experience local cuisine during visits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hotels are responding by enhancing culinary offerings. Hilton\u2019s 2025 Trends Report found that 60% of luxury travelers prioritize hotels with quality food options, and nearly one in five travelers actively seek new culinary experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Singapore\u2019s Amara Holdings and Capella Hotel provide guided market tours and interactive cooking sessions with chefs, combining food, culture, and storytelling for travelers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Erik Wolf, founder of the World Food Travel Association, tourists increasingly value authentic experiences and local culture, from rural food markets to historical culinary traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, \u201cCulinary Class Wars\u201d demonstrates how entertainment can influence travel, turning dining experiences into a key driver for tourism and cultural exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Participants Jung Ho-young, Hudukjuk, Monk Sunjae, Son Jong-won, producers Kim Eun-ji and Kim Hak-min, Yoon Jumo Yoon Nara, French Papa, Chinese Cuisine Witch, and Baby Beast pose during a press conference for the Netflix series Culinary Class Wars: Black and White Chef Season 2 at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul. (Photo by iMBC\/Imazins via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The South Korean Netflix show \u201cCulinary Class Wars\u201d is influencing travel patterns, with restaurants featured on the show experiencing a dramatic increase in bookings. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2000106230,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[151],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000106229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tourism","tag-editors-choice","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":{"id":2000106230,"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cd.jpg","alt":"","caption":"Participants Jung Ho-young, Hudukjuk, Monk Sunjae, Son Jong-won, producers Kim Eun-ji and Kim Hak-min, Yoon Jumo Yoon Nara, French Papa, Chinese Cuisine Witch, and Baby Beast pose during a press conference for the Netflix series Culinary Class Wars: Black and White Chef Season 2 at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul. (Photo by iMBC\/Imazins via Getty Images)","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":1000,"height":563,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cd.jpg","width":150,"height":84},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cd.jpg","width":300,"height":169},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cd.jpg","width":768,"height":432},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cd.jpg","width":1000,"height":563},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cd.jpg","width":1000,"height":563}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000106229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000106229"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000106229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000106231,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000106229\/revisions\/2000106231"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000106230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000106229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000106229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000106229"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000106229"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000106229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}