Food and wine tourism is a very interesting item in our country’s tourism offer and makes an important contribution to the GDP generated by the global sector each year. Food and wine tourism in 2024 generated as much as 40.1 billion euros in 2024, from direct, indirect and induced revenues, with a net growth trend of 12% over 2023 and +49% over 2016.
For both European and non-European tourists, food and wine are the strongest drivers in choosing the Bel Paese as a destination for their vacations or out-of-town trips, along with natural beauty, art and culture.
In several countries around the world, web searches targeting wine and food tourism are on the rise, particularly around the vacations, with surges of +150% for specific searches such as wine tours or wine tasting tours, in the last 12 months (Source: Google Trends).
While word of mouth and digital are the two preferred media for Generation Z and Millennials, more traditional behavior is found in Baby Boomers and Generation X where social, web, word of mouth from friends, authoritative guides and print media have similar appeal as sources of information.
However, one value common to all the different generations is found in an important value as well as criterion of choice. There is growing appeal to rural destinations, authentic and original areas and overnight stays in small villages in our country.
Data confirm this behavior and become concrete decisions to the point that in Italy in 2023 foreigners chose rural areas and inland villages for as much as 20.7 percent of the total demand. In fact, Italy for the wine and food tourist becomes even more fascinating when experienced in an original way, far from the mass and homologation. Small villages, defiladed and still little exploited and little known areas are a strong point of our tourist offer. Just think of the Lands of Custoza in the province of Verona, some small towns in the Belluno Pre-Alps, the Maira Valley in Piedmont, on the border with France, a wonderful destination for trekking and cheese, San Michele Acreide in the Sicilian hinterland, with its ancient religious and food and wine traditions; the Veronese plain with its agritourisms, parish churches and rice cultivation; and the Casoni between Veneto and Friuli in the Adriatic lagoon, ancient fishermen’s dwellings in the fishing season that now offer dinners with music after a slow, relaxing boat ride.
Roberta Garibaldi’s Italian Food and Wine Tourism Report shows, among other things, that the tourists who responded to the many questions posed have clear ideas, and are ready to choose, even in light of a diminished spending capacity and an economic crisis that is beginning to be felt at various levels (tastings in the concrete choice drops, they maintain an interest of 75.3% against a fruition of 57.2%). Leaving aside luxury tourism, which thrives on its own dynamics, where the aspect of high cost/positioning increases the appeal of offers, for casual tourism, there is a focus on seeking different situations, and there are three desires expressed by the tourists interviewed, which make them perceive a change from the past:
They desire to fully experience the food and wine of the area. Since 2021, there has been an increase in participation in oil-themed experiences (+37.1 percent), beer (+13.2 percent) and cheese (7.3 percent). So not just wine but “multi-product” experiences.
They seek immersive proposals focused on wellness and culture. In just one year, increase the number of people who chose relaxing/detox (+26.2%) and active (+8.8%) food and wine experiences as well as visited taste museums (+16%). So an active and conscious relationship with food and wine that is no longer just hedonism but culture and health.
They want to experience unique moments, discovering the many jewels of local tradition and food and wine. We remain the most “biodiverse country in the world,” both in terms of vine varieties, olive cultivars and types of vegetables, fruits and grains, so the desire to become “adventurous wine & food tourists” plays into Italy’s territorial and food & wine heritage.
Talking with professionals in the food and wine, wine & food experience and tourism sector and also reading some data, one can see how some classic proposals need to be revised and perhaps flanked with more interactive and innovative formats where the traveler is involved and protagonist, where he can try his hand and can have fun. Moments and activities that can enhance the culture, the territory and best present the food and wine excellence involved.
More and more we see the appearance of “trekking in the vineyard”, fish and wine tours in the ichthyic-tourism formula, wine & bike tours, horseback riding experiences with final tasting, cooking classes, tasting schools, weekends dedicated to wellness and health, moments of yoga and mindfulness experienced in wineries and vineyards that become true multifunctional locations. A dynamic situation probably almost unthinkable 30 years ago.
Sources: Google Trends, Sole 24 Ore, Food and Wine Tourism Report 2024 R.Garibaldi.
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