Travelling Foodie

You might say Raymond Cua’s status as a “travelling foodie” started in childhood. After all, his parents owned a fast food business — giving him a firsthand glimpse into food’s power to nourish and connect people. Then, annual family vacations only reinforced this idea, showing him the central role food played in cultures around the world.

“You can learn so much about a destination’s culture, history and natural surroundings just based on food,” says Raymond. “It’s a universal language. So when I travel, my itinerary usually focuses on trying certain local dishes or specific restaurants first.”

In 2007, after moving to Canada for university, Raymond began privately sharing photos and videos from his travels on Facebook. This was just a simple way for him to document and relive these memories then share them with family and friends. And in 2014, during a two-week road trip abroad with his siblings, he decided to take it a step farther, sharing his photos on Instagram under a fitting handle: @travellingfoodie.

“I was seeing all these beautiful things and trying all these delicious foods and thought, why not share them with more people who might be interested or inspired by them?” says Raymond. After all, he travels multiple times a year and dines out frequently, with his family and friends often seeking his recommendations.

About a year into posting on Instagram, Raymond’s following started growing. He soon caught the attention of major media outlets like Travel + Leisure, BBC Travel, Huffington Post, FoodBeast and Spoon University, which featured his work. What started as a casual way to share memories had quickly turned into a go-to source of inspiration for travel and food enthusiasts alike.

Travelling Foodie soon expanded — with its own dedicated website, along with a YouTube channel, two Instagram pages (@travellingfoodie and @journeytraveler), and accounts on Facebook, TiKTok, Twitter (now X) and Pinterest. And with the audience growing, Raymond realized he had the opportunity to turn his passion into a steady source of income.

In February 2017, Raymond left his corporate IT job. This meant he was now officially blogging full-time as the Travelling Foodie — and he hasn’t looked back since.

“I’m so grateful that I get to do what I love and am so passionate about,” says Raymond. “I get to travel the world, taste what it has to offer, learn about cultures, and also meet some amazing people.”

Learning that his work has inspired other travellers and foodies or has helped businesses is always a highlight. For instance, his article about a visit to the Haliburton Highlands in Ontario drove customers to restaurants in the area, who emailed him afterwards, thanking him. And he was tagged on an Instagram post by a follower from San Francisco thanking him for sharing a conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Osaka after reading one of his posts.

Along the way, Raymond has racked up some honors and recognition. He’s been named a world travel expert judge for FlightNetwork’s The World’s 50 Best Beaches and The World’s Ultimate Bucket List, an Influencer Judge for BeachAtlas’ Golden Beach Award, and an anonymous voter for one of the world’s prestigious gastronomy awards. Raymond is also one of the few travel & food bloggers invited by Michelin to Michelin Star Revelation Events in Toronto, and is invited by The Best Chef to The Best Chef Awards.

Of course, the work can get demanding. That’s why — as his business continues to grow — Raymond hopes he can outsource a bit more of the non-writing work. He’s already brought in a freelance video editor to help with some of his long-form YouTube content. Now Raymond can spend less time on the computer editing, and more time traveling the world and tasting the diverse range of cuisines it has to offer.

“The fact that I can keep traveling every month on average is still a dream,” says Raymond. “I’m excited to keep seeing the world, trying diverse cuisines, learning about different cultures, and then sharing what I learn along the way.”