Clean air, tranquil pace, healthy products. Italian food and wine are the second item on the list of motivation for travelling to our country, and at the top of the list for satisfying foreign sourists. The number of winery visits annually is estimated at 3.5 million (1 million just for Cantine Aperte day).
Today, wine tourism is worth 2.5 billion Euros annually, with a growth forecast of 8% in terms of visitors and 10% in turnover. Wine is the third attraction for foreign visitors to Italy and always involves mid- to upper-market consumers that appreciate fine wines, landscapes, typical gourmet products and art. The Wine Tourism Movement aims at fulfilling the expectations of all guests by offering itineraries, information, emotions and discoveries; as the motto of the association goes: “see what you drink”.
Another confirmation of the success of rural tourism stems from the investments made by the wineries to increase their offerings: in 2001, five percent of the total turnover of the associated wineries went to improving the quality of wine tourism. In particular, the focus has been on improving the hospitality facilities, wine-tasting and cooking courses, organizing concerts, cultural events, workshops, seminars on local traditions, promotion and communications.