Wine tourism: 92% of Italian wineries “offer” it, and it’s worth an average of 7% of turnover

Wine tourism is, and will be, a strategic asset for tourism and the Italian economy. But Italy will make a quantum leap only if it knows how to organize itself better than it has done so far, perhaps even equipping itself with a real permanent Observatory, as companies, operators and institutions would like. Meanwhile, taking stock of the state of the art is the volume “Journey in the Italy of Wine. Wine Tourism Observatory: regulations, best practices and new trends”, presented today in Rome at Palazzo Giustiniani, the representative seat of the Presidency of the Senate of the Italian Republic, the result of the joint work of the Associazioni Città del Vino, Donne del Vino and Senator Stefàno (first signatory of the Wine Tourism Law, ed.) and contains the results of the Nomisma-Wine Monitor survey of 92 municipalities and 150 wineries, with Senate President Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, the Ministers of Tourism, Massimo Garavaglia, and Equal Opportunities (in video message) Elena Bonetti, as well as Senator Dario Stefàno, Roberta Garibaldi, to Enit, Riccardo Cotarella, president Assoenologi, Donatella Cinelli Colombini, president National Association of Women of Wine, and Angelo Radica, president National Association of Wine Cities.
“To understand the potential of our wine tourism”, Denis Pantini pointed out, “just think about the fact that, for example, it can be calculated that, in Napa Valley, one hectare of vineyard generates a weighted turnover of 104,000 euros, in New Zealand 95,000, while in Italy this calculation still cannot be made because data are lacking”. In any case, it emerges that, in Italy, 92% of companies offer wine tourism hospitality, 74% do it all year round, and on average this branch of activity accounts for 7% of turnover (the average wine tourist’s receipt is in the 50-100 euro range, and only 18% of visitors spend more than 100 euro, ed.) This percentage doubles for companies under 2 million euros in turnover, and reaches 12% for those that reach 10 million euros, “a sign of how, especially for the smallest realities, which struggle to reach international markets or large-scale distribution, it is an increasingly important business sector”, Pantini said.
But the Observatory also looked to the future, and, according to the wineries surveyed (150, divided among all 92 municipalities of the Wine Cities), the new wine tourism of tomorrow will be increasingly experiential (for 79%), linked to digital (77%) and open spaces (73%, a clear legacy of the pandemic), and still short-term (71%), proximity (67%) as much as international (66%), for all age groups (59%) and female (57%).
Looking at the typical profile of the wine tourist, a portrait emerges that is predominantly female (51%), under 35 (60 %), with a high level of education (95%), high income (84%) and living in large cities (73%). Still, the Observatory explains, that 82% will have the Internet as their first source of information research, 76% will share experiences online, and only 10% will limit the experience strictly to wine, while 90% will seek a 360-degree link with culture and wellness, for example, looking with great attention to sustainability.
But, according to 91% of businesses and institutions, a national promotion and communication plan for wine tourism is needed (53% indicate this as a priority), more than 80% believe funds are needed to support municipalities and businesses, and 62% would like tax incentives for wine tourists, and according to 6 out of 10 companies call for a permanent National Observatory on wine tourism.
But Nomisma’s research also analyzed which regions are the most attractive, and their characteristics. At the absolute top, with no big surprises, are Tuscany, Piedmont and Veneto, followed by Trentino Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia (just ahead of Sicily and Puglia, ed.). Which, in addition to the quality and notoriety of the wines, win when for the presence of the historical, cultural and artistic context, when for the beauty of the landscape, but also for the variety of territories to visit, and for the ability to welcome foreign wine tourists, thanks to accommodation capacity, organization of tourist services, trained staff, ability to offer 360-degree experiences, and variety and quality of food and wine products. And on the promotion front, it becomes clear when teamwork among businesses is important, as 90% of those surveyed consider collaborations and joint initiatives to be most useful overall, ahead of promotion on digital channels, the presence of wines in local restaurants, events, institutional promotion, participation in wine districts and wine routes, and the presence of local wines in stores. For further improvement, however, according to the survey, 92% cite staff training as a priority, 85% the organization of tourism services, 77% welcoming foreigners, 66% offering more experiences, 63% improving overall accommodation capacity, and 54% welcoming Italians. In any case, optimism prevails, with most of those surveyed predicting a return to 2019 levels by the end of 2022.
From here we start again, on a path that, said Senator Dario Stefàno, must lead “to a policy of national support for wine tourism that we are working on, also thanks to the attention of the Ministries of Tourism and Agriculture. We do not need money, but public policies: just think that in Italy there is no road signage, no signal to indicate the presence of a winery. We need to understand that, for wineries, it represents a great opportunity: that of supplementing the main income, which comes from wine production, with a complementary income linked to a different offer, and that of qualifying national tourism, which has restarted when it has returned to focus on identity and quality. And a permanent national Observatory will serve precisely to accompany this path”.
That revolves around wine which is, “among the products of the earth, the one that best tells the world about the extraordinary natural riches and incredible human energies of our country. Because wine is first of all environment and territory. It is the landscape designed by the vineyards that cross our regions: from the Alps to Sicily. A mosaic of colors, scents and harmonies that holds the record of national sites recognized by Unesco (Val d'Orcia - Montalcino, Langhe Roero and Monferrato, Pantelleria and the Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, ed.) as World Heritage Sites”, said Senate President Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati. She added how “this volume also reminds us that a trip to the Italy of wine is also a trip to the Italy of art, literature, music, theater, fashion. It is tourism at 360 degrees. It is, above all, a journey into that culture of food and wine that our country has always exported all over the world and that every year attracts millions of visitors, curious and enthusiasts to Italy.
A culture rooted in the innate Italian vocation for welcoming, sharing, taste and beauty that makes tourism - in all its forms - an authentic protagonist of the life of our country, our communities, our territories and at the same time a precious economic resource”. A sector, that of wine, in which the feminine side is growing, recalled the president of Donne del Vino, Donatella Cinelli Colombini: “women, in Italian wine companies, are 51% of the sales force, 80% of those who do marketing and communication, 76% of those who deal with tourism. Giving value to women is not just doing women a favor, but wine and the entire Italian economy”.
After all, that wine and food and wine are among the greatest attractors of tourism to Italy is now well established, as the expert in the field and to Enit, Roberta Garibaldi, recalled: “it is no coincidence that, with the Ministries of Tourism and Agricultural Policies, we are studying the guidelines for the enhancement of gastronomic tourism, also with Regions and sector operators, and hundreds of proposals and observations have already arrived, which revolve around certain pillars. Which are the preservation of the food and wine heritage, which must be protected, and I’m thinking about the fact that in the family we cook less and we are losing so many recipes, but I’m also thinking about the artisans of taste to the stores. Again, the diversification of the offer in the winery, including cultural, the relevance of networking, and the need to better communicate and promote the offer”.
“Telling ourselves better is what we need to do to enhance our wine, which is not a drink, but an element of culture, passion, love, a flag of our country”, said Assoenologi President Riccardo Cotarella, who added, “tasting wine without knowing its history is almost useless. The reason is essential: wine is not the fruit of nature, but the work of man. We need science applied to viticulture and enology, but quality has almost no value if we do not know how to tell about it”.
Indications for a future that, despite a thousand difficulties, at least on the tourism front, gives optimism, as recalled by the Minister of Tourism, Massimo Garavaglia: “the season is going very well, in the seaside resorts we will do better than 2019, which was a boom year, but we must not be satisfied. In January Italy is always first in the world in wishes, but in December we are never first in facts, and it means we can improve a lot. But we need more organization, and that is what we are working on”.