Gastronomic tourism is a strategic lever for sustainability. It contributes to enhancing the destination’s attractiveness and the reputation of local productions, creates widespread wealth, and opens up new opportunities for the tourism and agricultural sectors. It supports processes of rediscovery, protection, and enhancement of the gastronomic heritage, increases the quality and safety of food by promoting a carbon-neutral approach.
With these words, Roberta Garibaldi, an international expert in wine tourism, introduces the opening of the 2023 Gastronomic Tourism and Sustainability Report, compiled with contributions from leading national and international experts in the field.
And sustainability is now a central element in tourism. The increasing attention and debate generated around the topic have spurred destinations and operators to take an interest in and build products and services that are consistent, especially in response to an increasingly sensitive and demanding demand.
What emerges from this report? How has the demand of the food and wine tourist changed according to the research?
Certainly, there is extensive research on sustainability, which becomes a decisive factor in both destination and experience choices, emphasizing both environmental and social sustainability. All these elements are now indispensable for businesses, companies, and destinations and must be incorporated into the structuring of the tourism offer. Therefore, highlighting the sustainability of the company during wine tourism experiences encourages tourists to choose that particular destination.
But above all, it is essential to ensure that companies consider sustainability comprehensively, not only in production but also in the tourism aspect. This means focusing on all sustainability initiatives throughout the wine tourism journey. Why not aim for a sustainability certification for this aspect as well, which would be highly appreciated by the environment, sustainability advocates in general, and tourists alike?
Which of these statements is true? Is food and wine tourism a strategic lever for sustainability, or conversely, is sustainability the strategic lever for tourists and food and wine tourism?
Certainly, sustainability is a key factor in decision-making and is thus an opportunity from the perspective of food and wine tourism. Simultaneously, the promotion of food and wine tourism presents a significant opportunity for the entire tourism sector because food and wine tourism is inherently sustainable. For example, it can rebalance the flows between urban and rural areas, redirecting more people from overtouristed places to inland regions. Through food and wine tourism, there’s potential to preserve the gastronomic heritage, such as recipes and artisanal producers facing challenges due to generational shifts.
Moreover, food and wine tourism represents a substantial educational opportunity, guiding tourists toward good and healthy eating practices as they engage in gastronomic experiences.
Is it possible to outline the profile of today’s food and wine tourist?
After a year of significant growth in tourism due to the phenomenon we have called “revenge tourism,” indicating a strong desire to resume travel, a critical situation has arisen. On one hand, there is the reduced economic availability of citizens due to inflation, and on the other hand, there is a significant increase in costs for accommodation and air travel. As a result, a segment of the population did not travel in the month of August. This is a characteristic situation in Europe, such as in Spain, where there was a 5% decrease in domestic tourism, and in England… so it’s a fairly widespread situation. Let’s say that the initial observation is that there is a duality between the international tourist, highly conspicuous, choosing to travel internationally, and a segment of the population choosing either not to travel in August or to opt for day trips.
So, for wine industry businesses, paying attention to local tourism becomes an important lever. The American model has long emphasized Wine Clubs and services for people within the local community, as seen in Spain where this type of activity connected to wineries has been well-developed for many years.
Restando nel panoramStaying within the European context, how much do catering and accommodation impact wine tourism?
The international trend is to organize hospitality houses, the central headquarters of all companies producing wine and spirits, in a very cool way, with design, integrating tasting rooms and hospitality with catering and accommodation. This integrated development is growing, leading to diversified economic revenues. So, internationally, this is a trend, as demonstrated by Airbnb, which has opened, for example, the section of rooms with a vineyard view and has experienced significant growth in recent years. Abroad, they tend to theme a bit more than what we do in Italy, in the sense of characterizing lodging facilities immersed in vineyards or with a view of the vineyards around the theme of wine.
What does it mean to characterize? It means incorporating wine into the rooms or the hotel environment. The room keychain made with a cork stopper, or I think of hotels in Bordeaux where water is in a plastic bottle shaped like a wine bottle. So, pushing a bit more on theming is something that tourists appreciate.
Can wine museums serve as a driver to increase awareness of the region and boost wine tourism?
Certainly, yes. In France, for example, the first city of gastronomy was created in Lyon, followed by the city of wine in Bordeaux. Within a few years, we will also have a city of gastronomy in Paris. The trend is to create large hubs that integrate museum spaces with conference rooms, tastings, various types of experiences, and so on, such as the World of Wine in Porto. This trend is observed in many countries. Regarding France, I also mention three small wine museums that opened during COVID-19 in Burgundy and two in Champagne. Whether they are large hubs at the national and international levels or smaller hubs in wine-producing areas, this trend is developing rapidly. It is also a very effective formula for achieving the edutainment work we talked about, as well as encouraging the booking of experiences and transportation to the surrounding areas.
On which factors should one focus to convince a foreign wine tourist to visit Italy and explore lesser-known areas?
Certainly, taking a systematic approach to promote Italian wine in China is extremely important. It is a crucial step to increase awareness of our products, culture, and the richness of our regions. Abroad, there is a bit more teamwork than we have, for example, the future Wine Museum of China will be created in collaboration with the Wine City of Bordeaux. This is another action that our French friends are taking. After creating these large centers that become exhibition, education, and research hubs, they also become opportunities to promote these entities internationally.
Roberta Garibaldi is a professor of Tourism Management at the University of Bergamo, president of the Italian Association of Food and Wine Tourism. And vice president of the Tourism Commission of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). She holds numerous positions at both the international and national levels, including being an ambassador for the World Food Travel Association. She is a member of the Board of Advisors at the World Gastronomy Institute, and a member of the Board of Directors of Sistur, the Italian Society of Tourism Sciences. She is a keynote speaker at major international events on tourism, including the UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) Global Forums and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
