FOOD-RELATED HOLIDAY SOUVENIRS ARE THE MOST POPULAR IN 2008: FOOD & WINE TOURISM GROWS AND EARNS 5 BILLION EUROS ACCORDING TO COLDIRETTI

Local food and wine souvenirs from vacation destinations are the preferred souvenir by Italians and foreigners who spent their vacations in Italy over the winter holidays. This was confirmed by the Italian agricultural organization Coldiretti, which also revealed that for 2 out of 3 Italians (63%) their cuisine is the embodiment of ‘Made in Italy’, beating out art and culture (24%), fashion (8%), technology (3%), and sports (2%).

Cheeses from malga, denomination of origin olive oils and typical wines are just some of the most popular souvenirs that tourists take home from their vacations. Other top products are the cheeses of Moena and Asiago from the Veneto, Fontina in Val d’Aosta, Barolo in Piedmont, prosciutto San Daniele in the mountains of Friuli and zolfini beans in Tuscany, Limoncello from Campania, and carasau bread from Sardinia.
And this trend continues to grow, favored by the increase in occasions to buy these local food products in the main tourist destinations throughout Italy. Food and wine tourism is now worth 5 billion euros and has become the true earner behind Italian vacation spending.