FOREIGN ENO-TOURISTS KNOW ITALIAN WINE BUT NOT ITS TERRITORIES. VALENTINO VALENTINI, PRESIDENT OF CITTA DEL VINO: “WE WANT TO RE-LAUNCH ENO-GASTRONOMIC TOURISM… MORE RESOURCES, MORE INNOVATION, MORE NETWORKS AND QUALITY”

They are among the higher levels for culture and spending capacity, they know Italian wines but still very little about the territories they come from. The top destinations for tourists from the United States are Tuscany and Montalcino, but they are also becoming familiar with the areas of Barolo and Barbaresco, as well as Amarone di Valpolicella, Sagrantino di Montefalco and Maremma. However, according to the tour operators of the International Eno-gastronomic Forum at the Riva del Garda, the majority still don’t know the locations where wines have their origins in.

This scarce awareness can be explained, according to Città del Vino, by the fact that mediation still passes through tour operators, but not through the eno-touristic realities that exist in Italy because they are still incapable of acting autonomously.
There is, however, the countertrend in Scandinavia, where “wine clubs” are being created. They are associations of enthusiasts and experts who, when they organize their wine-based vacations in Italy, use travel agencies solely for acquiring services for lodging, while trips to wineries are strictly “do it yourself”. Naturally, Internet is a vital tool, and this is why Città del Vino considers it urgent that a single portal be created that unites all of the offers available within Italy in order to re-launch Italian eno-gastronomic tourism.

And, of course, there are the Italians. According to Dutch, Belgian, English and U.S. tour operators, Italians are starting to look at new winemaking regions like Umbria, which is the top emerging region. The tourist who asks for eno-gastronomic products, according to operator analyses, became acquainted with them directly through art trips to Italy. Olive oil does not present itself as an attraction worth motivating a trip around, but is discovered as part of discovering a variety of traditional products.

“The eno-gastronomic tourist” – declared Valentino Valentini, president of Città del Vino – “can re-launch Italian tourism. Demand for packets of goods related to food and wines increases. And it is necessary that an increased specialization and competitive offers are created within territories, which should also create an element of reflection on offering adequate services to local entities and to “Strade del Vino” (Wine Roads). But it must all be convincing, the Strade del Vino must have a strong identity, be recognizable and well organized. The key words for the success of eno-gastronomic tourism can be summed up like this: more resources, more quality, more networks and innovation”.