I had the honour of presenting this initiative at FITURTechY, the Tourism Innovation and Technology Forum, within the FITUR. Spain is a major world power in wine production and export, as well as one of the most visited destinations in the world. However, we have not yet managed to position ourselves as a benchmark wine tourism destination. According to data from the ACEVIN Tourism Observatory, the wineries and museums belonging to the Club de Productos Rutas de Vino de España received some three million visits, which places us far behind our neighbouring countries. We must take this as an opportunity, since wine tourism represents a type of tourism that contributes to economic, social and environmental sustainability, to deseasonalisation and to rural economic development, thus generating tourism of greater value.
Wine tourism has become so much a part of me that my first trip abroad was to Bordeaux to see its magnificent vineyards and wines. Travelling around the world from one winery to another is like taking a natural journey through some wonderful places. I thought I was in love with my dear Valbuena de Duero and its environment until I came across San Vicente de la Sonsierra and had to share that love.
Wine tourism has still a lot of room for growth in our country. Travelling to South Africa, France or Argentina has enabled me to understand the importance it holds for them, their firm commitment, and how they have adapted their facilities in order to improve their visitors’ experience. It must not be forgotten that these same tourists not only bring wealth to the area but can become ambassadors of a country and its brands.
The data compiled by the Rutas del Vino de España Tourism Observatory and Turespaña are the basis of this Barometer, to which the information provided by all the players in this alliance shall be added in order to obtain high-quality data. In this way, it will be possible to have a complete and exhaustive picture of the reality of wine tourism in Spain and to detect trends in this sector. I would like to thank all the project partners for their work and trust.
