After the strong recovery of international tourism in 2022 (917 million arrivals worldwide, +100% over 2021), the indications for 2023 are positive: the recent data published by the European Travel Commission show how 82% of Italians are planning to take at least one vacation between April and September 2023, including abroad. And the attractiveness of Italy is very high among foreigners, being in the top3 countries preferred by European tourists for upcoming trips.

Throughout the pandemic, food and wine tourism has demonstrated its resilience, has grown and has been recognized by the international community international community as a possible driver for harmonious and sustainable territories. It is now essential to understand the current and future dynamics in order to orient food and wine tourism toward greater resilience, sustainability and inclusiveness.

To this end, we wanted to return current trends, explaining what this practice is today and how it wants/needs to be in the future. Tourists are constantly looking for gastronomic experiences throughout their of the trip. In 2021, 92% of Italian tourists had had at least a food and wine experience during travel in the previous three years previous, almost at pre-pandemic levels (in 2021 the value was at 98%).

In 2022, 67% of Italian tourists had at least 5 experiences, a figure up on 2021 (when it was 42%) and catching up on 2019 (86%) The 94% of Italian tourists had culinary experiences in restaurants; 74% had visited places of production; 60% participated in events; 54% in active experiences; 48% conducted tours or traveled thematic itineraries; 65% other themed experiences. Meanwhile, a greater number of tourists who travel primarily with the motivation of taste, both in Italy and abroad. They are 21% of Italian food and wine tourists, up 4% increase over 2019.

The tourist is innovative. He experiences local food and wine and the territory in all its facets, seeking different proposals and that are linked to the place, authentic. 57% of Italian tourists say they are innovative, a figure that is significantly higher than in 2016 (+23%). And the survey conducted by American Express Travel indicates that 9 out of 10 tourists want to visit destinations they have never seen before.

Tourists love to experience themselves through new, different activities and in
contact with nature. One in two Italians would like to participate in a foraging course to learn how to collect plants and wild fruits to eat in wineries, breweries or oil mills. 41% want to participate in a winery survival course (e.g., to learn how to start a fire, retrieve drinking water), 42% in breweries, 42% in 44% in oil mills. 48% want to have playful experiences (such as escape rooms, treasure hunts treasure, murder mystery dinners) in wineries, 42% in breweries, 44% in olive mills.

The tourist is curious. He wants to learn about food and wine culture through narratives (storytelling) in the places where they enjoy the experiences. 76% of Italian tourists would like to know more about the culture food and wine of the place they visit. 61% would like to know the history and anecdotes related to the farm and of the productions when visiting an oil mill or an oil company, 59% when visiting wineries, 57% when visiting breweries.

The tourist is bleisure. He crosses the barrier between work and leisure. He combines vacation and business trips, and the rural setting becomes the place
where they can do smart working. Every second Italian tourist is interested in
doing smart working in rural areas by having spaces and services appropriate.

There is growing attention to experiences in all places of production. The 74% of Italian tourists have visited places of production during trips in the last 3 years: leading the way are wineries (with 34%), followed by dairies and farms (28%). There is growing attention to the experiences in all places of production: in particular, interest in cheese reaches (almost) that for wine.

The offer needs to be diversified. 55% of tourists believe that wineries offer very similar visitor experiences; in 2019 it was 47%. The wineries
must become places to be experienced at 360 degrees: 61% of Italian tourists
would like to participate in events and/or proposals that combine food and wine with music in production companies, 57% with art. 64% would like to see winery experiences available that can be enjoyed after working hours, such as wine bars and small events. 51% want proposals that combine sports with food and wine, for example wine trekking. 58% would like pet-friendly wineries. 54% would like companies that would have dedicated services for children (baby-sitting, area games).

Diversification should not only be about rural areas. The enhancement of F&B offerings must also be brought to the cities and in hotel facilities. One in two Italian tourists would like to stay in wine/food/other themed hotels on their future trips. 76% would like the restaurant of the chosen facility to use local products place and offer local specialties, 73% a breakfast based on local products. 69% would like to have information about experiences food and wine of the area directly at the facility and 65% participate in food and wine tours organized by the facility.

Not only winery, the demand extends to other product categories and company. Tourists would like to visit places of production such as charcuterie and dairies, and is interested in all the different beverage offerings (gin,
cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages).

Diversification is related to the age group of the target audience. With reference to wine tourism, younger people prefer to participate in events and festivals of wine (18-24 years: 35%; 25-34: 38%), Millennials and Boomers follow thematic itineraries (35-44:16%), while seniors are more attracted to visits to the winery (41%). Therefore, there is a need to create differentiated proposals by target audience for Generation Z, Millennials, Boomers and Generation X - based on trends highlighted in demand.

The top3 of the best Italian destinations from a food and wine point of view is
formed by the following regions: Sicily (indicated by 46%), Emilia Romagna (44%), Campania (40%). The same destinations, but in a different order (Emilia Romagna, Campania and Sicily), are also those whose products and culinary specialties are the best known to Italian tourists; a similar discourse applies to Italian cities.

There are destinations that have great opportunities for development. Italians know little about the products of certain regions, even of relevant dimensions (ex: Marche, Veneto). And given the strong interest in food and wine travel in Italy of Italians and the richness that characterizes our entire country, this highlights a great possibility to expand the tourism offer with new possibilities.

Destinations must become more competitive, increasing professional skills (with paths of specific theoretical-practical training and updating of a continuous) and trying to attract young talent. In addition, they must
identify solutions to the current difficulties in finding workers for the sector.

At the policy level, there is a lack of awareness of the value of food and wine
for Italian tourism. It is often present as a tourism "product" in the official tourism portals of Italian regions, but the level of structuring of the offer is heterogeneous and there are too few experiences highlighted. In addition, the transposition of regulations on wine and oil tourism is in the making, and not all regions have issued the implementing decrees. Among the positive aspects appears the provision, in the new draft law on wine tourism, of the creation of a dedicated national portal.

It is necessary to create a favorable regulatory framework for the development of food and wine tourism. Consistent minimum standards are needed across the regions to allow the conduct of tourism activities in all places of production, and not only for wine and oil. Some standards, for example those on HACCP, to facilitate experiences tourism in production spaces. There is a need to define and recognize the requirements minimum requirements for the exercise of professions related to tourism and food and wine (e.g., food and wine tourist guide).

Conditions must be created to transform disadvantaged and marginal areas into destinations for food and wine tourism. How? By creating coordinated proposals for tourist products related to food and wine at the national level (itineraries that, from north to south, lead tourists to discover the places of taste and the excellence of the territory). By supporting processes of aggregation of supply. By developing food and wine tourism in destinations
seaside, mountain and inland destinations. By strengthening connections with the areas interior and inter-territorial tourism proposals. By fostering experiences related to fishing. By promoting projects to enhance inland areas
as places for bleisure and workation stays.