Boom time for wine tourism

Wine producers who do not invest in tasting facilities and tourism drawcards risk missing out on valuable income.

A new international study has found that wine tourism remains a profitable and expanding part of the global wine industry, with 65% of wineries reporting positive returns and more than half planning to invest further, trade news hub drinks business reported this week.

Wine tourism continues to prove a strong revenue driver for producers worldwide, with 65% of wineries describing it as profitable or very profitable, according to a new study by Geisenheim University in collaboration with UN Tourism, the OIV, the Great Wine Capitals Global Network and WineTourism.com.

The Global Wine Tourism Report 2025, based on responses from 1,310 wineries across 47 countries, found that 88% currently offer some form of wine tourism activity, most commonly tastings (79%), cellar tours (68%) and vineyard tours (61%). 

The report records a median of 1,500 visitors per winery each year, with domestic tourists making up 65% of total visitors. 

While most wineries report stable or rising visitor numbers, 43% of European producers saw growth over the past year compared to 28% of those overseas.

The largest visitor segment is aged 45–65 (82%), followed by 25–44 (59%), while only 2% of wineries report guests under 25, suggesting ongoing challenges in engaging younger audiences.

More than half of wineries surveyed (51%) plan to invest further in wine tourism, and 73% expect their wine tourism activities to grow in the future. The study also found that 78% of wineries collaborate with other organisations to enhance experiences.

In my experience, producers in South Africa and Argentina are among those most proactive with tourists.  

Wine tourism contributes an average of 25% of total winery revenue, rising to 32% in non-European wineries. Key challenges identified include economic pressures (51%), decreasing consumption (51%), and changing consumer preferences (40%).

Overall, 68% of wineries believe wine tourism will grow in their region, and more than 60% see it as a valuable tool in times of crisis.

The report says wine tourism “plays a key role in diversifying rural economies, creating jobs, and supporting local communities”. 

And, of course, there are the financial benefits of sales direct to customers. 

Image; Solms Delta Wines in Franschhoek, South Africa, will offer wine tastings, live music, and an on-site museum in 2026, and is planning to reopen its Fyndraai Restaurant.

Air fares and hotel room rates set to soar again

Travellers can prepare for more pain over the next 18 months with airfares predicted top rise by 8.4% in 2023, hotel room rates by 8.4% and car rental charges by 6.8%.

This is on top of a predicted full-year 2022 increase in airfares of 48.5%, hotel rates of 18.5%, and car rental charges of 7.3%.

These are the figures provided by the 2023 Global Business Travel Forecast, published today by CWT, the B2B4E travel management platform, and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).

Rising fuel prices, labour shortages, and inflationary pressures in raw material costs are the primary drivers of the expected price growth, says the report.

"Demand for business travel and meetings is back with a vengeance, of that there is absolutely no doubt," said Patrick Andersen, CWT's Chief Executive Officer.

"Labour shortages across the travel and hospitality industry, rising raw material prices, and greater awareness for responsible travel are all having an impact on services, but predicted pricing is, on the whole, on par with 2019."

Cautionary notes also highlighted in the 2023 Global Business Travel Forecast highlight the main forces exerting pressure on the economy and the business travel industry.

These include Russia's invasion of Ukraine coupled with other geopolitical uncertainties, inflationary pressures that are pushing costs higher, and the risk of further Covid outbreaks that could restrict business travel.

Business travel airfares fell over 12% in 2020 from 2019 followed by an additional 26% decline in 2021. Economy ticket prices fell over 24% from 2019 to 2021, while premium tickets fell 33%.

Prices are expected to rise 48.5% in 2022, but even with this steep price increase, prices are expected to remain below pre-pandemic levels until 2023.

Rising demand and continued price rises on jet fuel are putting upward pressure on ticket prices.

For more detailed information, including geographic breakdowns and greater in-depth insights into trends and analysis, you can see the report online here, where you can also download a PDF version of the 35-page report.

Image: Hanny Hsian, Scop.io