Sicilia en Primeur 2026: A new model for Sicilian wine tourism is born.

With the opening conference of the twenty-second edition of Sicilia en Primeur, Assovini Sicilia sought to further explore the highly topical topic of wine tourism, starting with concrete data and a useful analysis to define future strategies.
The event, conceived by the Sicilian association, kicked off at the Oratorio dei Bianchi in Palermo with the conference "Taste the Island. Live the Story." Until May 15th, it will bring together over one hundred journalists from around the world in Sicily to discover Sicilian wine through tastings, cellar tours, and experiences. This edition features 56 member companies with over a thousand labels available for tasting at various times.
The choice of Palermo also provided the national and international press with an opportunity to explore the city's lesser-known sites, such as the recently renovated Real Albergo delle Povere, the venue for the tasting with the producers and the technical tasting, the Church of Santa Maria dello Spasimo, and Palazzo Sant'Elia.
Mariangela Cambria , president of Assovini Sicilia, opened the proceedings: " Talking about wine in Sicily inevitably means talking about travel. A journey that goes beyond tasting and becomes a cultural experience, an encounter with the territories, communities, and profound identities of the island. We chose Palermo for this edition of Sicilia en Primeur because it perfectly represents the stratification of history, cultures, and visions that makes our land unique. Today, wine tourism is a fundamental strategic lever: not only an economic opportunity for companies, but a powerful tool for telling the story of wine through the landscape, gastronomy, art, and human heritage of Sicily. This is the meaning of our invitation: taste the island, live the story ."
The conference, moderated by sommelier and wine communicator Andrea Amadei, focused on wine tourism as a driving force for the regional wine sector, encompassing sustainability, digitalization, training, and new ways of engaging with consumers. The framework outlined is that of a Sicilian wine tourism model with a strong identity that needs to structure and leverage an already existing international demand.
Following official greetings—Mayor of Palermo Roberto Lagalla, Alessio Planeta, President of the Consortium for the Protection of DOC Sicilian Wines Alberto Tasca, President of the SOStain Sicilia Foundation Matteo Zoppas, and President of ICE (Italian Trade Agency)—the data from the report on Sicilian wine tourism produced by Lumsa- Ceseo (Center for the Study of Wine and Olive Oil Tourism) were presented. This report paints a picture of a mature, international, and increasingly strategic sector for the development of Sicilian wine. According to the data, 61.4% of Sicilian wineries surveyed reported an increase in visitors in 2025, while 74.7% indicated a predominance of foreign customers, primarily from Europe and the United States. According to the study, wine tourism represents a tangible and growing economic component for the Sicilian winemaking world: for 58.3% of companies, it accounts for approximately 10% of total turnover – excluding direct wine sales – and guided tours and tastings are confirmed as increasingly important business drivers for wineries.
Sustainability also stands out among the main strengths: 86.7% of wineries produce energy from renewable sources , 56.2% cover at least 40% of their energy needs with green energy, 88% have eliminated single-use plastic in hospitality and around seven out of ten companies use lightweight bottles.
The research also highlights a significant evolution in the offering: tasting rooms, wine shops, tour itineraries, and dedicated staff are now widespread, and nearly six out of ten companies state they have already planned new experiences for 2026, with the goal of developing increasingly comprehensive and premium offerings. The level of basic digitalization—websites, e-commerce, and mailing lists—is also good, while the use of more advanced tools remains limited: only 20% of companies have a structured Wine Club, and 30.6% state they use artificial intelligence, especially in marketing and communications.
" CESEO's work, conducted for Assovini Sicilia, provides an original and stimulating wealth of knowledge for those concerned with the future of Sicilian wine tourism. Having solid, up-to-date, and geographically granular data is not an academic exercise, but a necessary condition for enabling institutions and operators to intervene effectively, overcoming fragmented approaches and guiding a growing sector towards full competitive maturity ," explained Dario Stefàno , president of CESEO - Lumsa University of Rome. "The numbers emerging from the survey confirm the vitality of the sector, characterized by strong international appeal and a well-structured offering, but they also clearly highlight some weaknesses that need to be addressed," Stefàno concludes.
According to Antonello Maruotti, CESEO scientific coordinator and professor of statistics at Lumsa University in Rome, "the report we worked on paints a picture of a dynamic and already structured ecosystem, in which the quality of the wine tourism experience is accompanied by a growing focus on sustainability and innovation. The challenge emerging from the data is no longer just the attractiveness of wineries, but the ability to transform existing international demand into stable and widespread economic value throughout the region."
Ample space was also dedicated during the conference to the relationship between wine and the younger generations , a topic addressed by Vincenzo Russo , full professor of Consumer Psychology and Neuromarketing at IULM University in Milan, who presented the findings of the Youth & Wine Observatory. The research highlights how 51% of young Italians between 20 and 24 consume wine, the highest figure ever recorded for this age group, and how firsthand experience in the winery represents one of the main drivers of engagement among the younger generations. Young people are not distant from wine: they seek authentic experiences, connections, and cultural content. Wine tourism could become the place where this new connection with wine is born. " Today, wine communication and marketing must increasingly be flexible and intergenerational, knowing how to adapt strategies, products, and winery activities based on the target audience. This represents a further professional effort to also capture the new peculiarities of the brain plasticity of Generation Z, " explained Russo.
Topics discussed included the impact of Artificial Intelligence on wine tourism, with a presentation by Edoardo Colombo , president of Turismi.AI, and the role of training and hospitality in winery strategies, with Filippo Galanti , co-founder of Wine Suite. " Artificial intelligence can represent an opportunity for Sicilian wine tourism to transform an already extraordinarily attractive heritage into a more intelligent, personalized, and competitive system. Thanks to data and predictive tools, it can better engage with visitors and meet the demand for tailored experiences. From this perspective, Sicily can become an advanced laboratory for wine tourism, capable of combining identity, sustainability, and digital innovation ," Colombo explained during his presentation, " Artificial Intelligence and Wine Tourism: Towards Smart and Predictive Destinations."
Training in wine tourism, as a strategic lever for generating added value in direct sales, was the closing topic. " Sicily is one of the Italian wine regions with the greatest potential for wine tourism. The growing attractiveness of wine regions and the quality of visitors choosing to enjoy winery experiences make staff training, expertise, and professionalism increasingly strategic. In this context, the use of technological and digital tools can also contribute to generating, over time, a significant impact on both company revenues and margins, as well as on the overall development of the region. Furthermore, the role not only of wineries, but also of associations like Assovini Sicilia, committed to coordinating and promoting the entire system, is crucial, " emphasized Filippo Galanti.
Assovini Sicilia confirms its role in the wine world debate and charts the future of Sicilian wine tourism. " Sicily's wine region now possesses all the elements to establish itself as a major international wine tourism destination: authenticity, biodiversity, culture, and hospitality. The challenge is to continue building a shared vision that transforms this heritage into sustainable growth for the entire island ," concluded Mariangela Cambria .
Sicilia en primeur is an initiative funded by the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Mediterranean Fisheries, Regional Department of Agriculture.
“Wine tourism is destined to become one of the pillars on which our economy is based.
Experiential tourism focused on discovering wine, the unique characteristics of its terroir, and local culture is attracting thousands of visitors to our region, and the numbers tell us we're on the right track: we're Italy's second-largest food and wine destination after Tuscany. We're also one of the most attractive destinations, and we see a growing demand for authentic experiences tied to the region every day. "This is a way to diversify tourism and boost our economy," commented Luca Sammartino, Regional Agriculture Councilor.