“The Accidental Wine Tourist” was presented by William R. Eyer at the International and Wine Tourism Conference 2012 in Italy. Below is a brief summary of the presentation by William Eyer, from Cuvee Corner Wine Blog. In his presentation he noted he had become a wine fan several years ago. William has traveled to Italy three times and now considers himself to be a traveler rather than a tourist.

William’s description of the accidental tourist included the “chap” who arrives unannounced, the lost tourist looking helpless and the traveler searching for wine travel information and when none is available.

According to William, motivations for wine travelers include:

• The need to explore
• The allure of “connecting” with the landscape
• The desire to enjoy “local” foods and become involved with the culture
• The need to look behind the label

Roadblocks to Wine Tourism include:

• Lack of tasting rooms for the public
• Lack of cooperation between wineries
• Lack of knowing your target audience
• Failing to use social media for your message
• Lack of clearly marked wine routes with signage and easy to find maps.

Social Media is an important aspect to wine tourism. Suggestions included: sponsoring live tweet-up tasting events and creating a Facebook fan page. William emphasized that it is important to remember the role of social media. “The mistake firms make is using the channels to try to sell stuff.” Social media is not designed for selling but to add value and build.

Eyer ended his presentation with an inspiring quote from poet Robert Frost,

“Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

Cheers! Kathy