Grocery Store Tourism Is One of Travel’s Most Overlooked Cultural Experiences

Travelers are making a point to hit grocery stores abroad, where local snack hauls, often inspired by TikTok and YouTube, offer an authentic taste of place and culture.

A bag of shrimp chips, a perfectly wrapped onigiri, a tin of Portuguese sardines. They’re just snacks, but for many travelers, these small purchases are becoming cultural souvenirs in their own right.

Grocery stores are emerging as unexpected windows into local culture and daily life. For travel marketers and brands, it’s a trend worth watching: Videos of traveler snack hauls and local product discoveries shared on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are becoming powerful new forms of destination storytelling.

In these videos, creators often take viewers inside grocery stores and local markets in cities like Tokyo, Seoul, Oaxaca, and Paris or showcase their purchases after returning home, spotlighting hyperlocal snacks, seasonal specialties, and quirky packaging. These videos regularly rack up millions of views, with followers asking for exact store locations, aisle recommendations, and shopping tips as part of their travel planning.

The trend reflects a broader shift in traveler priorities — especially for younger travelers — toward deeper forms of cultural immersion. For hospitality and destination leaders, it’s a cue to pay attention to the everyday food rituals, local ingredients, and retail spaces that shape how a place feels and tells its story.

In Japan, konbini (Japanese convenience stores) like Lawson and FamilyMart are everyday essentials that also offer a glimpse into Japanese culture. Far from their American counterparts, Japanese 7-Elevens