In this episode #27, we speak with Lauren Aloise, co-founder of Devour Tours, an award-winning food tour company that began in Spain. With a background in hospitality and tourism management, a passion for food and culture, and a strong belief that tourism can be sustainable, Lauren started leading tours herself in Madrid in 2012. As the first food tour company in Madrid, the business grew quickly to other Spanish food destinations, including Barcelona, Seville and San Sebastian. In 2019, the company expanded to include tours in Rome, Paris and Lisbon. Lauren attributes Devour's growth to an extremely smart and hardworking team. Staff members come from over ten different countries and connect through a shared love of food, culture, and hospitality. In her "spare time" Lauren recently fulfilled a lifelong dream to become a certified chef at the Hofmann Culinary School of Barcelona.
In this episode you'll learn:
- How preserving sense of place is essential to fostering a successful visitor experience, and ultimately, to furthering the advancement of food & beverage tourism
- Why you need to ask for help early on in life so that you can go further faster
- How a company is the sum of its parts – everyone plays a vital role
- Why local food/beverage businesses need to be supported & preserved
- What compels food lovers travel in the first place
- Why you should embrace failure & learn from it
Discussed in this episode:
Devour Tours
Spanish Sabores
