Wednesday marked the last day for the 2012 International Wine Tourism Conference in Perugia, Italy. An issue raised by some was what appeared to be a repetition of content between the presenters. I’d like to put forth a different take on what may have appeared as repetition. Speakers were from all over the world. Some were bloggers and writers, others were wine producers and there were wine tour operators making presentations. My interpretation is that various people from different places who come to wine from different angles are deriving the same conclusions. Rather than repetition, the presenters were reinforcing themes.

One theme that was reinforced is that tour operators and tasting room staff need to provide a great experience for the tourist. This may seem obvious and many wineries do indeed say they provide a great experience. However, my experience is that there is room for improvement in this area from the small Mom and Pop wineries to the large production wineries. Tour operators have similar challenges. This theme of a great experience was also reinforced by presenters that gave a talk about different wine regions to visit. I heard of the great experiences one can have in Chile, Georgia and Croatia. For those that see repetition, I see reinforcement of a theme.

Another theme that surfaced often was the importance of tourism and how to increase it. Many of a diverse group of presenters spoke of this theme. Some may see repetition, however I see reinforcement. Two strong outcomes of the conference is the importance of tourism and the experience that wineries and tour operators provide. It is now time to put into practice how to increase tourism and improve the experience even if the experience is already great.

Cheers,
Terry