Grocery tourism emerges as a growing global travel trend for 2026

"Grocery tourism" - visiting supermarkets and grocery stores as part of the travel experience - is emerging as one of the defining trends of 2026. In Tokyo, visitors go into stores such as 7-Eleven to try products they have seen in social media videos, including egg sandwiches, curry buns and matcha sweets. A similar pattern is being recorded in Spain, Finland, the United States and Greece.

An international survey of more than 14,000 travelers from 14 countries found that 77% said they enjoy exploring local grocery stores and supermarkets while traveling, while nearly one in two cooks at least some of their meals during vacations. About 35% of travelers plan to visit or shop at a local grocery store on their next trip. A key driver is cost: for about 10 euros, a visitor can buy five or six products and take home a different kind of souvenir, without needing a booking or a ticket.

Finnish chain K-Supermarket has listed several of its stores on Tripadvisor as points of tourist interest, with each location taking on a distinct identity - one store in Helsinki even has beehives on its roof for honey production, while another is known for its craft beer selection. For the Greek market, the trend connects with the country's gastronomic identity, as shelves stocked with feta, yogurt, olive oil, honey and rusks can serve as a snapshot of local food culture for visitors.

The article also notes a paradox: in Japan's Kawaguchiko area, a Lawson store with a view of Mount Fuji became so popular on social media that crowd-management measures were needed, including guards and a screen blocking the photo angle. The episode illustrates that the appeal of a local store for travelers rests on it not being designed as an attraction, and that mass tourist interest can erode that very quality.