Greece is one of the most promising emerging wine tourism destinations, GWTO president says
FILE PHOTO: Tourists’ visits to the Acropolis. Photo via amna_news
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Greece is one of the most promising emerging wine tourism destinations because of what the country itself represents in terms of culture and nature, José Antonio Vidal, president of GWTO, said in an interview with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA).
The identification, knowledge and use of tourism resources must become the most important strategy of a tourism destination and the companies that make it up, he added.
“One of the most important trends that encouraging wine tourist to choose the destination is sustainability and commitment to nature,” he underlined.
The full interview with AMNA follows:
What does wine tourism mean for the global tourism industry?
Wine tourism is a fast growing sector, set to become an important driver of business, focused on inclusive development in the economic and social spheres:
– wealth creation: human capital and quality of life,
– preservation of tangible and intangible heritage,
– environmental sustainability,
– improvement of entrepreneurial potential: quality and competitiveness, innovation, generation of collaborative synergies and institutional frameworks for participatory governance.
What is the global wine tourism market?
Referring to the geographical area, the wine-growing territories that are really endowed with tourist resources.
In recent years, tourism and wine have created a symbiotic relationship from which both are strengthened: tourists travel to wine destinations to get to know all their historical, artistic and natural wealth around the culture of wine
What does the wine tourism traveler want? What is his travel expense?
Motivation is focused on the need to disconnect from routine (escapades), to live very different experiences, to have a great time, something that wine tourism undoubtedly offers.
Unfortunately, entrepreneurs do not have sufficiently rigorous and objective statistics to their decision-making. That is why GWTO Academy is working with an international team of experts on the GWTO WORLD WINE TOURISM ECONOMIC MONITOR.
What are the global trends that dictate the development of wine tourism in countries?
The identification, knowledge and use of tourism resources must become the most important strategy of a tourism destination and the companies that make it up.
One of the most important trends that encouraging wine tourist to choose the destination is sustainability and commitment to nature. This will be taken into account for the experiences/activities through GWTO QUALITY SEAL in order to be exhibited in the GWTO MARKETPLACE OF WORLD WINE TOURISM.
As experiential tourism, wine tourists have high expectations of their trips.
Which destinations are leading on a global scale?
a) the resort or theme park model, typical of those companies that were born with a tourist focus (mainly USA, South Africa, Oceania), and
b) the model focused on the visit to the wineries, completing the experience with other resources of the destination, typical of establishments that were born with a winemaking focus but which have understood that entering the tourism sector is
profitable (mainly France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Chile).
What is the position of Greece on the world map of wine tourism? How do you see Greece as a wine tourism destination?
Greece is one of the most promising emerging wine tourism destinations because of what the country itself represents in terms of culture and nature.
GWTO recommends the creation of a Greek Wine Tourism Association. GWTO advises on the associative model according to success stories from other countries.
To be a full member of GWTO is to be part of the WORLD WINE TOURISM COUNCIL, made up by public entities, the private sector and academic institutions.
On the other hand, and this is not a minor issue, PROFESSIONALIZATION through training and internships must be a constant commitment. This is why the GWTO Academy offers training programmes co-created with national and international academic institutions.
Which regions of Greece do you see leading in this field?
Greece, with more than 300 varieties of its own grapes, has a vineyard area of approximately 150,000 hectares, highlighting 4 regions:
1. North: Epirus, Macedonia and Thrace
2. Islands of the Aegean Sea: Santorini, Samos and Limnos
3. Central Greece: Central Greece, Thessaly and Attica
4. Southern Greece: Crete, Peloponnese and Kefalonia
Any region of them really endowed with tourist resources.
What would you advise Greek tourism agencies and political leadership?
Leadership takes on a GWTO GOVERNANCE MODEL (GWTO Academy) where Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) play a major role in efforts to create services and innovative products in the area of social, environmental and sustainability, able to respond to global challenges linked to sustainable development.
GWTO recommends the creation of Destination Brands (Country Brands) in consultation with our specialists as well as intensive communications campaigns through GWTO Events.
Source: ANA-MPA
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