Garavaglia: 30 million euros from Ministry plus 30 from Regions to invest in wine tourism

“Wine tourism is a slow tourism that runs fast. In order not to leave anything to chance, we have drawn up a strategic plan for the sector by investing 30 million euros as a Ministry, doubled with resources for 30 million from the Regions”. This was announced today by Tourism Minister Massimo Garavaglia at the launch, at the Foreign Press headquarters in Rome, of the “World Wine Tourism Forum No. 6” to be held in Alba, September 19-21, promoted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) of the UN, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Enit-National Tourism Agency and Piedmont Region, hosted for the first time by Italy.
“Wine tourism is a sector that is changing, and we have to ride this change, which sees sustainability as the common thread, but which must be translated into concrete actions. Because wine tourism is much more than just the sale of wine, which, however looking at the data of the first 6 months 2022 represents a growing market, with the United States at 12.5% compared to 2021, the first market with almost 800 million euros, followed by Germany with almost 500 million euros and a 6% increase, and Great Britain with almost 300 million euros and a +30% - said the Minister, citing Istat data analyzed by WineNews - but when you sell a bottle of wine you sell the territory behind it. Wine tourism makes it possible to open up further development spaces, especially in areas that still have untapped potential from a tourism point of view. To do this takes a lot of sound organization and of course resources: with the Ministry of Agriculture, we have drawn up the Strategic Plan for wine and food and allocated 60 million euros in total between the Ministry of Tourism and the regions. Which is pretty much what other states are doing. And sustainability and territory are the two key words behind wine tourism: sustainability because it is a different kind of tourism, nowadays we say slow tourism to simplify the concept but one that “runs”, even by bicycle for example, and that is increasingly growing and that is why it has to be organized; territories because we are fortunate to have fantastic places and it is no coincidence that Langhe, Roero and Monferrato, the Prosecco Docg Hills, Val d’Orcia in Tuscany and the terraces of Cinque Terre in Liguria are Unesco sites, because behind so much man’s work there is also so much beauty. The Forum will be a huge showcase for Piedmont and all of Italy to show just what is behind a bottle of Italian wine”.
“Ministry and Enit have invested a great deal in recent times, not only in terms of narrative, but strategic, on the offer of the territory told through gastronomy, an aspect that fits perfectly with the strategy of Unwto”, said Unwto’s Europe director Alessandra Priante, “which precisely during the pandemic was able to note how rural tourism is the key to sustainable development not only of territories outside the major points of attraction, but of the world’s territories in general because this approach allows for a vision and a way of managing governance that makes it possible to clearly and concretely achieve sustainability goals and, above all, an innovation that applies not only to the experiences and ways of narrating the offer, but also to the way a destination is managed. Unwto has been making investments in this area for a long time, and for us wine tourism and food tourism are two separate things because both are incredibly important for the territories, although in Italy it is difficult to separate them but for other realities wine has a much stronger role than gastronomy. At the Forum there will be 30 speakers from all over the world, and many of our Ambassadors coming from all over the world, and, including Garavaglia, 8 ministers (Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Portugal, San Marino and Serbia), with whom we will have a panel to have the main players in the political strategy discuss together the support needed for the real, innovative and sustainable restart of tourism at the global level, which is facing a lot of problems at the national level right now, between rising costs, the war and lack of personnel. But rural tourism in the territories is the key to a solid restart”.
“Thanks to the data of our wine production and the characteristics of wine tourism, Italy is at the top of the world. And this is thanks to the innovation and creativity of the offer”, explained Enit CEO Roberta Garibaldi, “which have become necessary because if until a few years ago the wine tourist was a specialized wine enthusiast, today the visit to wineries has become the heritage of all tourists, more than 90% of whom live wine and food experiences while traveling. This has given rise to those strands that will be discussed at Forum, from wineries in historic mansions to those of contemporary designers and signed by famous architects such as Renzo Piano’s Rocca di Frassinello, from the encounter with art as in the case of Ceretto, among the Forum’s locations (next to Michele Chiarlo’s Art Parl La Court, Tenuta Carretta, Enosis and Marchesi di Gresy, ed.), to archaeology such as wine reborn in Pompeii with Mastroberardino. We will talk about sustainability for which we are at the top in Europe in the wine sector across the board, environmental, economic and social, and which are a driver of choice of wine and food experiences. But we will also talk about communication innovation and accompany the Forum the enhancement on italia.it of food and wine aspects, with the launch on September 15 of our Ambassador Massimo Bottura in international campaigns”.
Forum that will be a “world showcase of all our excellence in the wine but also agri-food chain of Piedmont against the backdrop of Langhe Roero and Monferrato Unesco World Heritage Sites, which, even in times of pandemic, have allowed our region to stay healthy”, said Piedmont Region Tourism Councillor Vittoria Poggio.
Innovation, creativity and sustainability will be the “key words” of the World Forum, promoted and organized by Unwto in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Enit and the Piedmont Region, will be held on September 19-21 in Alba, in the magnificent setting of the territories of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato, a Unesco World Heritage Site. The pandemic ordeal has deeply marked wine tourism, which, while showing some resilience, is now called upon to innovate. It must be able to offer experiences capable of intercepting the needs of a wide audience, composed not only of experts but also of those who love to discover the beauty, history, and values of places and the people who live there through the pleasure of wine. And structure itself to create economic, social and cultural value for territories, companies and the local community. The Forum will be a time for discussion and reflection on the current situation, prospects and future challenges of the sector. Experts and operators will discuss how to innovate wine tourism, the role of creativity as a lever for innovation, and sustainability as a paradigm for generating lasting value. Speakers come from all over the world: from Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general World Tourism Organization (Unwto) to Pau Roca, dg Oiv-International Organization of Vine & Wine, from Marta Domènech Tomas, dg Turismo Generalitat de Catalunya, to Martin Hawke, head of Global Product (Uk), from Pamela Lanier, founder Sonoma Sustainable Tourism Observatory, to David Mora, founder Wine Tourism School and Coordinator of the Master’s Degree in Food Tourism of the Basque Culinary Center, to Martin Lhuillier, head Wine Tourism France. Italian speakers called to speak include Carlin Petrini (Slow Food), Mauro Agnoletti (University of Florence), Francesca Planeta (Planeta), Luca Balbiano (Urban Vineyards Association) and Filippo Polidori (Polidori & Partners) .
Our country boasts a unique wine heritage in terms of products, identities, cultures and landscapes. The growing interest in tourism over the years has led to the development of an offer capable of satisfying the needs of a wide and varied public, with innovative ideas - such as, for example, wineries in historic residences and in contemporary buildings created by architects of national and international fame, production companies with artistic installations that can be visited by the public or with musical, literary, theatrical events - recognized as excellences of national and international level. The “World Wine Tourism Forum”, hosted for the first time in our country, represents a unique opportunity to let the world know about our excellence. And to reflect on the development prospects of a sector that, if properly enhanced, can become a driver of sustainable development and revitalization of many territories.