Elements such as oenology, artistic culture and nature trails represent the pillars of the tourism proposals offered by Italy’s wine villages, accounting for 74% of the overall offer (31% attributable to wine, 29% to art and culture, and 14% to nature trails).
Small family-run wineries, set within valuable landscape settings, are emblematic of the Italian wine tourism profile, representing 67% of the national tourism offer, with a geographical distribution that sees the North-West at 74%, the North-East at 68%, the Centre at 65% and the South and Islands at 63%. This information emerges from the nineteenth National Wine Tourism Observatory, managed by Nomisma Wine Monitor and announced today at Vinitaly, with the patronage of the National Association Città del Vino, the National Association “Le Donne del Vino”, the National Wine Tourism Movement and “La Puglia in più”.
According to the survey conducted among 145 mayors, belonging to the Città del Vino network primarily means enhancing and celebrating wine and its culture (76%), participating in a network or shared project to develop tourism marketing strategies at national and continental level (65%), excelling in promoting the territory and its production excellences (48%), launching wine-related projects that improve quality of life and create employment (40%), positioning themselves as hubs of wine tourism flows (28%) and encouraging training paths to stimulate wine tourism (28%).
The report highlights areas for improvement for municipalities, such as expanding the functions of tourist offices and opening them on holidays (55% of municipalities), strengthening staff training also in public sectors linked to wine tourism (35%), providing transport services for tourists without vehicles (17%) and equipping municipalities with tools for urban and territorial planning (18%).
Areas for development include intensifying collaboration and networking among local structures (79% of municipalities), participation in wine circuits and thematic itineraries (75%), increasing the use of digital tools to promote and narrate the territory (40%), and participation in digital platforms to market wines and typical products (36%).
Among the strengths identified are the presence of local wines in restaurants (98%), the organization of territorial events (93%), institutional promotion (92%) and the presence of wines in retail outlets (90%).
Revenue from the tourist tax is allocated to improving urban decorum (63%), supporting local tourism programs (63%), maintaining roads (67%), increasing accessibility for people with disabilities (72%), and strengthening digital infrastructure (72%).
Training is considered strategic for the economic growth of wineries and the territory (72%), for attracting new visitors (71%), for adapting to emerging trends (67%), and for customer loyalty (66%), with 80% of businesses in the South and the Islands considering it fundamental for attracting new tourism flows.
