DMOs Offer a Taste of the City With Cookbooks

Destinations are increasingly betting that the way to a visitor’s heart is through their stomach.

Rather than waiting for guests to come into town, culinary scenes are now an active ingredient of marketing campaigns.

In the case of Visit Milwaukee and Visit Orlando, that has manifested itself in cookbooks available to purchase.

Milwaukee Flavor: The Cookbook was previously available as a free digital collection released in 2024. In October, the print edition came to life.

The cookbook features a collection of more than 90 recipes and personal stories from more than 55 local chefs. It turns out there is more to Wisconsin dining than cheese curds, brats, and beer.

“It is a celebration of the people, places and traditions that make our city’s food culture unique. Each page tells a story of creativity, resilience, and community,” said Josh Albrecht, chief marketing officer at Visit Milwaukee, of the book.

Food tourism is a growing sector of the travel market. Grand View Research valued it at 2,698.7 million in 2024 and estimated it would grow 19.2% from 2025 to 2030. Meanwhile, the World Travel Association says 53% of leisure travelers are food travelers that can boost the local economy by up to 25%.

Like Milwaukee, Orlando is trying to diversify its presentation to would-be visitors with Orlando’s Kitchens: Recipes and Stories From Our Neighborhoods. The theme parks are not going away, but Mickey Mouse may turn his nose up at some cheddar with the expanded restaurant scene, based on the description from Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando.

She notes that Orlando eateries serve more than 40 international cuisines, and more than 59 restaurants have been recognized by the MICHELIN Guide.

“Visitors can enjoy a playful, family style meal one night and an award-winning fine dining experience the next,” said Matej. “The same creativity that fuels our theme parks is alive in our kitchens.”

Visit Orlando has been working on elevating the perception of the culinary community for more than 15 years, Matej notes. The food is king, but would be nothing without the chefs adding their own flavors to the city.

Matej said that the DMO worked with culinary author Pam Brandon for more than a year to identify chefs, restaurants, and culinary businesses that best highlight the range of options.

“Beyond recipes, we also included stories from urban farms, artisan bakers and other local businesses to create a well-rounded snapshot of our culinary community,” Matej added.

The cookbook is one component of a culinary campaign in development for 2026 to target food travelers, said Matej.

“The cookbook is a nice appetizer before the full campaign,” she said.

Photo Credit: Visit Orlando