Have you ever heard of the 72-ounce steak challenge? The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, became famous for this unique concept. For many, Amarillo is in the middle of nowhere, but it's often a quick stop option during road trips across the Texas Panhandle.

How does the challenge work? If you can eat that 4.5-pound slab of meat along with its accompaniments in one hour, then the meal is free. If not, you pay for it. Simple. There is always some intrepid soul or the other who takes on the challenge amidst the cheers and claps — big fun for all to watch.

But that's not all, for everything else on the menu is delicious as well. So much so that travelers have been known to put Amarillo and Big Texan on the agenda even if it means a slight detour.

This is just one example of how food is influencing travel today. The 2016 Food Travel Monitor Report released by the World Food Travel Association (WFTA) highlighted that food and beverage tourism will now be a critical global travel monitor.

Research shows 75 percent of leisure travelers are significantly motivated to visit a place because of its special cuisine and culinary activity. With 86 percent of respondents claiming a positive food and drink experience is highly likely to influence their return to a place, the strong influence of F&B on travel and visitor experience is quite established now.

The facts are interesting. The eclectic traveler seeking a variety of experiences, the strong female influencer who prefers to be a localist traveler, Generation Xers and millennials are some of the key factors for the positive future for the food and beverage tourism industry.

According to WFTA, 50 percent of travelers tend to set aside a budget for food-and-beverage-related activities, giving in to their passion for food rather than worry about income-based spending. In fact, foodies are more engaged travelers, so places that rank high for their food are likely to rank high for tourist footfalls as well.

Social media has definitely been a big motivator here as well — 64 percent of leisure travelers tend to share their culinary adventure and experiences on social media these days.

In America, we see an overwhelming majority of travelers — over 90 percent — exploring unique food and beverage experiences. The numbers are equally motivating globally. Proactive governments are focusing on leveraging on these trends, from South America to Africa to the Far East.

In 2015, Peru witnessed a whopping 4.22 million international visitors, many of whom were keen to explore local cuisine. It is estimated that food tourism could lead to $7.5 billion in revenue for them this year.

In South Africa, the public and private sectors are joining hands to make the country a key player in the food and wine tourism arena. In tourism-driven economies like Thailand, efforts are being made to enhance tourism experiences with more cooking classes and buying local products at farms to boost the food tourism sector, which drew approximately $13.2 billion in revenue last year.