The wine tourism industry has undergone a significant transformation over recent years. This transformation started before the pandemic and has continued through the post-pandemic era, with a considerable impact on this sector. Based on qualitative and quantitative surveys conducted internationally at Geisenheim University over the past five years, trends can be identified in the wine tourism sector.
The potential of secondary wine tourists
A number of wineries have recognised the importance of wine tourism as a tool for offering entertainment to a wider audience, including those who are not particularly interested in wine. Local gastronomy, nature experiences, cellar tours, personal encounters with the winemaker, etc. are attractions that can inspire not only passionate wine tourists — primary tourists — but also customers who don't have much to do with wine — secondary tourists. By adopting a more diverse approach to their target audience, wineries can expand the scope of potential visitors. By doing so, wineries may achieve a significant side effect: acquiring new customers and strengthening the loyalty of existing customers.
Sustainable development
One of the most significant challenges currently facing the wine tourism industry is that of sustainable development. In all research conducted in recent years, the importance of this issue has been consistently highlighted. It appears that wineries around the world are aware of the need for sustainable strategies in wine tourism, yet many lack the knowledge and resources to implement it effectively. The absence of concrete measures and information about how to establish sustainable wine tourism makes it challenging for wineries to navigate this development. It is evident that sustainable practices will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of wine tourism therefore providing practical information will be of great importance.
Sport activities and wine tourism
Wine, as part of the luxury food category, is a stimulant that contains alcohol. The transformation of consumer behaviour shows that, in particular among younger consumers, wine is no longer perceived as particularly appealing. To overcome any negative associations and to introduce new, additional healthy activities, many wineries worldwide have combined their classical wine tourism offer with sports activities. These include hiking in the vineyards, hiring a bicycle and riding around the winery, or doing yoga directly at the winery.
Furthermore, regional events, such as marathons or half-marathons in wine regions, or the combination of these activities with wine, have become increasingly popular. It appears that the integration of leisure activities with a healthy lifestyle is an effective strategy in the context of wine tourism.
New types of overnight stays at wineries
The concept of spending one or two nights at wineries is not a novel phenomenon; however, the popularity of this offering has increased significantly in recent times, particularly during the pandemic. The closure of hotels and other accommodation options has also led to a surge in the number of individuals investing in motorhomes. Consequently, there has been a notable rise in demand over recent years, yet the supply of parking spaces has not kept pace with this growth.
A comprehensive survey conducted in Germany revealed that both producers and tourists perceive significant potential in the combination of motorhomes and wine tourism. Wine regions are attractive destinations for motorhome tourists, offering considerable potential for visitor numbers. Many wineries have already recognised this, and it is likely that more will follow in the future.
Urbanisation of the wine tourism experience
It is reasonable to assume that only a small proportion of wine consumers make the journey to visit a winery — mainly those with a great passion for wine. But what about those who consume wine but do not visit wineries as tourists? If the tourists are not coming to the winery, it is logical that the winery is going to the tourists. It has been observed that the majority of tourists are in urbanised areas, such as larger cities. Offering wine tourism experiences away from the place of production could help to reach an audience that would never visit a winery.
One innovative solution is the House of Baden Wines (Haus der badischen Weine) in the heart of Freiburg, which was founded 25 years ago and is run by 33 wineries from the Baden region. Besides selling wine, it provides information about the region, wine tasting and food for visitors, bringing the wine tourism experience to the city. However, any type of wine bar, wine restaurant, wine museum or wine-related attraction in cities has the potential to attract tourists who would never consider travelling to a winery.
Local tourism
The local population has historically benefited from the region's wine tourism offerings. Interestingly, they were rarely identified as wine tourists by the wineries, which instead referred to them as locals. The pandemic has brought about a notable change in this regard: local visitors have rediscovered their region, and wineries are benefiting greatly from this trend. It is therefore important to consider not only tourists from other regions but also to develop suitable offers for local visitors.
More focus on gastronomy and nature
The UNWTO defines wine tourism as a subset of gastronomic tourism. However, wine is often consumed and enjoyed separately from food when visiting a winery. Wine tourism offers a unique opportunity to enhance the culinary experience by combining wine with food. And it should not be always a restaurant. Providing snacks as finger food alongside the wine tasting is a simple yet effective way to engage visitors, but the range of culinary experiences extends, however, to Michelin-star restaurants located directly within the winery. By offering food, another target groups can be attracted.
As nature is a significant motivator for tourists visiting a wine region, wineries should also prioritize this in their communication. A visit to a winery is almost always associated with an experience of nature, so it is evident to leverage this advantage. This presents an opportunity to attract guests who are not primarily interested in wine, but rather in nature and exercise.
Customer relationship management
Those who neglect to collect information from winery visitors cannot establish a personal connection with them. In many cases, this is not a significant issue, as new tourists visit the winery on a daily basis. However, the global pandemic has highlighted the importance of direct contact with customers. In an international survey of new wine tourism strategies, customer relationship management (CRM) was identified as the most crucial aspect, emphasised mainly be wineries in the New World.
Digitalized solutions
The list of digital solutions in the wine tourism industry is extensive. The essential component is the winery webpage, which has become a standard feature. It is no longer feasible to offer wine tourism activities without a website that is regularly updated. The phenomenon of online wine tastings commenced in 2020 and reached a peak within two years, after which it began to decline. However, this type of wine tourism should not be underestimated. The expansion of the wine tourism market to include consumers who are enjoying wines and being entertained at home by a particular winery represents a groundbreaking innovation. This innovation has been further enhanced by digital wine tours, virtual reality and augmented reality experiences. All of these new and innovative digital solutions can be offered remotely, allowing tourists to be located anywhere in the world. This location difference fundamentally changes the definition of wine tourists in the future too.
Mobility
Mobility, logistics and the network of streets, as well as public transportation within a wine region, exert a significant influence on the success of wine tourism. In Germany, approximately 80% of visitors to wineries arrive by car. This allows for the purchase of larger quantities of wine, yet there is a growing tendency to move away from cars and use other mobility options to reach wineries.
As previously stated, bicycling and hiking are viable alternatives, provided that time is not a limiting factor and that visitors are amenable to engaging in physical activities during their stay.
Public transport could be a sustainable mode of transportation in a wine region, yet it has inherent limitations. In numerous surveys, wineries have expressed frustration with the lack of comprehensive infrastructure, citing it as a significant obstacle to the further growth of regional wine tourism. Consequently, this will likely become a pivotal issue in the near future.
Prof. Dr. Gergely Szolnoki, Geisenheim University
References
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363679118_Environmental_Sustainability_and_Tourism_-_The_Importance_of_Organic_Wine_Production_for_Wine_Tourism_in_Germany
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359973883_A_Cross-Cultural_Comparison_of_New_Implemented_Sustainable_Wine_Tourism_Strategies_during_the_COVID-19_Crisis
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356732154_A_cross-cultural_analysis_of_the_motivation_factors_and_profitability_of_online_wine_tastings_during_Covid-19_pandemic
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342246308_Estimating_the_economic_impact_of_tourism_in_German_wine_regions
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341875182_Relevance_and_challenges_of_wine_tourism_in_Germany_a_winery_operators'_perspective
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338774391_Segmenting_tourists_in_German_wine_regions_by_travel_motivation_and_wine_activities
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376650933_Do_German_winegrowers_see_a_connection_between_biodiversity_and_wine_tourism
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363536511_SUSTAINABLE_WINE_TOURISM_-_A_GLOBAL_SURVEY
- https://www.hs-geisenheim.de/fileadmin/redaktion/FORSCHUNG/Institut_fuer_Wein-_und_Getraenkewirtschaft/Professur_fuer_Marktforschung/Projekte/Weintourismus/2023_Studie_Reisemobiltourismus_Weinregionen_Szolnoki.pdf (report only in German)
