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Italy Food (and Wine) Tourism Travel Trends

By March 7, 2023No Comments
Turismo enogastronomico

Italy Food (and wine) tourism was one of the main topics discussed at the Bit Talks, during the BIT Exhibition in Milan. Roberta Garibaldi, professor of Tourism Management at the University of Bergamo and editor of the Food and Wine Tourism Report, previewed the 2022 edition of the report, highlighting the 10 trends of the year.

As Garibaldi explains, food and wine tourism is one of the main tourism drivers, stimulating travelers from all over the world to visit Italian destinations. It generates economic value for the area and creates new opportunities for the tourism and agri-food production sectors. As many as 90 % of Italians choose a tourist destination based on its food and wine experiences.

According to Garibaldi, there is still a lot of unexpressed demand nationwide, and there is a need to create a common thread among integrated products. For example, Garibaldi talks about the “food truck” phenomenon, one of the fast-growing new culinary trends in the food market, generating a real street food cult, combining tradition and innovation. In the area of food and wine tourism, it is mainly wine tourism that is driving the destination. But tourists are also beginning to look at niche experiences, Garibaldi stresses the importance of the information behind experiences in dairies and chocolate shops, for example, which is not always easy to access.

Italy Food and Wine Tourism Top 10# Takeaways 

Here are the 10 food and wine tourism trends highlighted in the Report. 

1# Certified products: system certification carries history, linking food and wine to local people. Italy is the country that invented the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) economy, a model that expresses the quality food and wine heritage. What is increasingly needed is to make certifiable products even more of an expression and brand of a territory. These products are a strong tourist attraction and over time they need to combine agriculture, crafts, hotels, high-quality restaurants and cultural and artistic heritage.

2# Environmental and social sustainability at the level of destination, experience and communication: the social value of food and wine is increasingly emerging. The winery becomes an ambassador that must communicate its sustainability, highlighting the support to its local community.

3# Experiencing open spaces: the role of food and wine tourism as  development for rural areas, where nature and open spaces are the main players. The need to avoid overtourism and shift tourist flows to these areas is becoming increasingly important.

4# Nature bathing and well-being: food and wine vacations need to take into account the megatrend of well-being, which is becoming essential. It is increasingly important to create tourism products and experiences that combine the healing dimension with good food and wine.

5# New urban-rural link, food and wine enters the city: if during the covid, remote working had accelerated the revival of rural tourism in bleisure, or in virtual tastings, now with the return to prominence of cities, rural food and wine tourism also enters the city through farmsteads, green places and farm-to-table products. 

6# 360-degree hospitality: the food and wine journey is not limited to the actual duration of the trip, but also extends to the preparation and sharing phase following the experience. Never-ending food tourism is a growing trend, and companies that want to capture it will need to invest in digitization, such as through the use of apps, augmented reality, e-commerce platforms, digital tastings, and special offers related to home tastings.

7# The food and wine tourist is increasingly demanding: creativity, innovation and experiences are the pillars on which to serve this new demand. On the one hand, wine tourism is characterized by slow savoring – on the other hand, the active approach is becoming increasingly popular. Trekking among vineyards, cycling on white roads, and involvement in local activities, such as collective grape harvesting, olive picking, or vacationing with animals, are just a few examples of how the wine and food tourist is evolving.

8# Looking for new experiences: the demand of wine and food tourists is characterized by a desire for new and original experiences that go beyond traditional winery tours and tastings. In particular, more sought-after and innovative experiences are appreciated, such as the combination of agritourism and wellness, with yoga and pilates sessions immersed in nature. In the restaurant sector, tourists are also looking for new formats, such as temporary restaurants in hotels, home delivery and digital tastings. In addition, it is important to offer proposals that take into account the timing of tourists, such as quick tastings and samplings, picnics in the vineyard and food trucks, in order to meet the different needs of customers.

9# Growth of organic, slow food and farmstead tourism: organic represents a rising trend. We are seeing a revival of the “local,” that is, of local products and traditions. In this context, breweries, taste museums and UNESCO heritages are gaining in importance. Farmstead tourism is on the rise, particularly in southern Italy, with traction for the regions of Sicily, Campania and Puglia.

10# Active Tourism: the modern tourist has an increased focus on active and engaging experiences while traveling. There is an increasing demand for bicycle routes or excursions that allow visitors to explore the local area, such as the Wine and Food Trails. In addition, interest in immersive experiences such as harvesting grapes with winemakers or participating in farm activities is pushing destinations to innovate their tourism deals and create increasingly original and engaging experiential routes.

The goal of Italy food and wine tourism will definitely be to drive the strength of the industry with sustainability and authenticity. The experiences related to the food and wine journey are becoming increasingly important in the mind of the tourist.