The Cities of Wine confirm their central role in the development of wine tourism
Presented at Vinitaly on April 3 with the minister Daniela Santanchè the largest survey ever carried out on wine tourism in Italy: 265 wineries and 145 municipalities of wine districts that photograph an accelerating tourism, with the increase in the number and types of experiences offers .
In Verona, on 3 April 30 years ago, the Movimento Turismo del Vino was born, the first association on wine tourism and today Città del Vino, Donne del Vino, La Puglia in Più and the Movimento celebrate the anniversary by showing the spectacular growth figures of this sector.
The survey by Nomisma - Wine Monitor directed by Denis Pantini and carried out by Roberta Gabrielli and Paola Piccioni constitutes the Observatory on wine tourism and is the most extensive ever carried out in Italy.
«Italian excellence, such as wine, is a strong driving force for tourism: a sector that can give great employment opportunities to our young people - said the Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè - For this too we must invest in their training and for this in budget law we have set up a fund of 21 million euro». «Working in the tourism sector requires sacrifice - continued the Minister - which must be rewarded. This is why we are thinking with Minister Calderone how to support companies». And again: «Wine tourism is growing because it is linked to an experience, it means being able to walk in the vineyards: 10 million visitors will come to see the harvest. But there is still a lot to do: first the appropriate billboards, then boost digital and seasonally adjust tourism to stabilize workers as well. Promotion is still too fragmented, it must be organised: we must have the ability to network».
She is joined by Dario Stefàno , professor of economics of tourism businesses at the Lumsa University and of wine tourism at the Luiss Business School, to whom we owe the regulatory recognition on tourist wineries in December 2017: «It fills us with satisfaction to see how the introduction of a agile but punctual legislation, has given wings to investments in Italian tourist wineries which, in the last 10 years, have doubled and in some cases tripled the offer of experiences by providing entertainment, meals, overnight stays, themed evenings, experiences related to wine, to sport and culture.
THE LEADING ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF WINE TOURISM
Donatella Cinelli Colombini , who 30 years ago created Open Cellars and the Wine Tourism Movement, joins the president of Women of Wine, Daniela Mastroberardino, to highlight the female role. In fact, although Italian tourist wineries are mainly run by men (55%), the management of wine hospitality is mostly female (73%).
The wine hospitality of the Donne del Vino is distinguished by a greater diversification of the offer: not only wine, but also activities related to well-being, catering (28%) and cooking classes (40%), accommodation (36%) , sports (swimming pools 15%) and the organization of visits to neighboring places or places connected to cultural events (50%). In other words, women are effectively transforming the wine attraction into a proposal for a stay of one or more days with activities related to cultural enrichment and regeneration that originates in nature.
"A tourism proposal conceived as an active and engaging cultural experience - say Cinelli Colombini and Mastroberardino - Now we must aim to train increasingly competent and welcoming employees: a satisfied visitor becomes an authoritative brand Ambassador of the territory and product".
THE TYPES OF ITALIAN TOURIST WINERY
The most widespread type of tourist cellar in Italy is the small family one (39%) which appears to be particularly present in Campania, Puglia and Umbria. The cellars with historical or architectural significance follow (14%) which have the highest percentages in Veneto and Piedmont. Firms with famous or historic brands account for 12% of the total and are particularly widespread in Veneto and Sicily.
Piedmont, Tuscany, Friuli and Sicily are characterized by wine enterprises with particular scenic and naturalistic beauties (11%) while in Puglia and Umbria the share of well-organized wineries for incoming is higher.
«We are very satisfied – underlines Nicola D'Auria , National President of Movimento Turismo del Vino – with the growth of wine tourism services that has taken place in the last 10 years. And we hope that all the Cellars of the Movement, including those far from consolidated tourist itineraries and flows - critical issues that clearly emerged from the research - can help to awaken and involve the different territories. But one fact emerges in a clear and incontrovertible way: if before wine tourism traveled quickly, now it runs very fast. And there was no better news to celebrate the 30th birthday of our association».
THE CRITICAL ISSUES OF ITALIAN WINE TOURISM
The survey highlights two critical elements: 44% of the cellars are far from tourist or wine tourism circuits, a particularly evident problem in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Umbria and Campania. Additionally, half of the wineries close to the public on weekends and public holidays. Closure which also affects many tourist offices, constituting a serious problem with respect to the flows of visitors which are instead concentrated on the days of f
CITY OF WINE AND WINE TOURISM
«Being a City of Wine increasingly represents an added value - underlines the president of the City of Wine, Angelo Radica commenting on the 19th Observatory on wine tourism, the second created by Nomisma Wine Monitor - precisely because of a greater awareness that local administrators have good practices to be promoted in favor of the development of wine tourism; the report confirms that whoever administers a City of Wine develops greater sensitivity and capacity for intervention and planning over time».
In fact, for the 145 mayors interviewed, being a City of Wine means promoting and enhancing wine and its culture (for 76%); being within a network, a shared project in order to create tourism marketing strategies (65%); have the ability to tell and create opportunities to promote the territory, its products and its companies (48%).
The Report also highlights the areas in which Municipalities can improve to promote wine tourism: strengthening of tourist information offices and their opening on public holidays; support for staff training also for public offices on wine tourism; endowment of urban and territorial planning tools; greater sharing of collaborations and more and more networking.
In the photo from left : Paolo Corbini and Angelo Radica (City of Wine), Nicola D'Auria (Wine Tourism Movement), Roberta Gabrielli (Nomisma), Daniela Santanchè (Minister of Tourism), Dario Stefàno (Professor of Luiss Wine Tourism), Donatella Cinelli Colombini and Daniela Mastroberardino (Women of Wine).
