The future of wine tourism

Looking at the development of the wine drinking market, one might be forgiven for thinking there isn’t much of a future for wine tourism. Globally, wine consumption and production volumes continue to fall, with a 4% decline in the US wine market in 2024.

But help is at hand. Wineries are reacting to this challenging market by diversifying, and wine tourism is one of the major growth areas. A recent report by Roberta Garibaldi shows that in 2026, around 18 million Italians will participate in wine-related experiences, an increase of a third compared to 2024. The report, due to be presented at the Vinitaly Tourism event on April 13^th shows that this is part of an overall growth in demand for production site visits, with Italians making 60% more visits to facilities such as wineries, olive oil mills and dairies compared with 2021.

The most popular wine tourism experiences are visits to family-run wineries, which indicates a growing interest in relationships and meeting people, even in a highly digitalized environment. The boost that these trends are giving to wine tourism is underlined by the creation of Vinitaly Tourism, which will fill an entire hall of the Vinitaly International Wine and Spirits Exhibition in Verona. The development of Vinitaly Tourism “aims to enhance the integration between wine and tourism, addressing the growing demand for immersive and authentic experiences.”

Winera, a Slovenia-based wine tourism platform confirms the growth of the market and the increasing role of technology and diversification. They argue that growth in wine tourism is driven by increasing value, not just more visitors. Wine tourists now want more than standard tastings or cellar tours. They are also “seeking meaning, memory, and connection, experiences that feel personal, emotional, and rooted in place.”

According to Winera, around 25% of total winery revenue now comes from tourism-related activity, including cellar door sales, hospitality, events, and experience-led offerings. Outside Europe the importance of tourism is often even greater, and the majority of wineries see tourism activities as profitable. Winera also concurs with Roberta Garibaldi’s research, expecting wine tourism in the Italian Piedmont region to grow by 20% in 2026. This region has a unique blend of heritage and gastronomy to supplement its outstanding wines.

The experience diversification driving wine tourism now includes:

·       Seasonal and story-driven events

·       Culinary pairings with local identity

·       Cultural programming through art, music, and heritage

·       Wellness elements like vineyard walks or sensory tastings

‘Digital terroir’ is a further trend identified by Vinera, “where technology meets tradition”, with virtual elements enhancing the physical visit through  in the most elegant way. Rather than replacing the magic of a physical visit through “personalized journeys, virtual tastings, and connections that invite guests to explore terroir beyond the vineyard gate.” It’s a smart fusion that honours heritage while opening new doors to discovery.

The growth of wine tourism platforms such as Vinera is also boosting winery business. In the past consumers were faced with complicated booking processes, but now they can access wine experiences easily through the platform. Vinera offers experiences in  Tokaj, Tuscany, Piedmont, Douro Valley, Rioja as well as emerging Adria wine regions of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia as well as South Africa and South America. By providing greater access for consumers, such platforms also raise the visibility of wine producers.

This is good news for the predominantly rural regions in which most wineries are located. Stimulating cultural and creative tourism in rural areas is one of the priorities for the European Union, and they are actively funding research projects in this area, such as the Crocus Project. In research carried out by Crocus, wine and gastronomy were also identified as key areas of cultural and creative tourism development.  Consumers not only want to see food production processes, but also to have hands-on involvement in making and tasting food products. Such creative tourism experiences add value by increasing tourist involvement and enabling producers to charge premium prices for the experiences.