Montalcino: Brunello drives tourism, 200.000 visitors in 2018, +113% in 5 years

In Montalcino, land of Brunello and wine tourism, according to the data processed by Nomisma-Wine Monitor based on statistics from the Tuscany Region, and Brunello di Montalcino Consortium released, there were almost 200.000 visitors in 2018, which is 113% more over the last 5 years, and over 75.000 bookings in a town of 6.000 inhabitants. The picture that appears, a few days before “Benvenuto Brunello” – to be held in Montalcino, February 21st to 24th, showcasing Vintage 2015 and 2014 Reserve in glasses - is of a small piece of land that every year is the destination of wine tourists from all over the world (72% of the total attendance is foreign), and which has built its fortune on the economy of its flagship wine. In Montalcino half of the businesses are agricultural, but not only. Over the years, accommodation establishments have multiplied immensely and today it can count 1 for every 35 inhabitants totaling 92 hotels, farmhouses and accommodations. Plus, there are more than 50 restaurants, wine bars and wine shops.
The results, for the denomination that founded the first public Enoteca (wine shop) in Italy in 1941 and first opened its doors to the public at Fattoria dei Barbi, in 1948 (where, moreover, the VIno Tourism Movement started) are excellent: there were +20% more visitors last year alone (2018 compared to 2017); +113% increase over the last 5 years, growing 10 times more than the Tuscan Region. There were almost 77.000 nights booked in hotels, 72% of which were booked by foreign visitors and 120.000 bookings in non-hotel establishments. “The typical tourist, commented Fabrizio Bindocci, president of the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium, “is a big spender and mainly comes from the United States, our number one reference market. More and more tourists are also coming from third countries, such as Brazil and Canada, as well as from Germany and the United Kingdom. The high-end wine tourist phenomenon contributes to virtuously expanding the socio-economic supply chain of Brunello even outside its 2.100 hectare perimeter of vineyards and its thousands of employees”.
Wine tourists came from over 60 countries to visit Montalcino and registered +25% increase in attendance last year. The regulars are primarily Americans, dominating with almost 41.000 visitors registered in 2018 and booming growth compared to the previous year (+ 56%). Germany followed with 19.000 visitors and there were more than 10.000 from the UK and Brazil, the latter registering +70% increase during the last year monitored. There were also numerous reservations of visitors from France, Canada, Switzerland, Australia and Russia.