Not just sea and holidays in the sun. Sardinia is in second place among the most sought-after destinations in the experiential tourism sector which generates a turnover of 170 million euros in Italy. The island is in second place, globally, among the regions preferred by wine tourists but, due to difficulties in air and sea connections, it ranks 18th in terms of number of presences. Despite everything, visits to wineries and vineyards in Sardinia are growing with enormous potential still to be exploited.
The data emerged during the regional assembly of the Cities of Wine which was held in Serdiana where the results of the survey conducted by Nomisma for the National Wine Tourism Observatory were presented through a questionnaire proposed to municipalities and companies. Among the strong points of Italian wine production is the strong presence of local labels in Sardinian restaurants (93%) and commercial establishments (78%). The promotion of wines through the organization of events also performed well (85%).
However, there are some critical issues on the tourist communication and information front. The “Città del vino” association, which brings together 37 municipalities in Sardinia (526 in Italy), is focusing precisely on the strengthening of information points and the presence of companies on digital platforms: «With the implementation of the new regional law on wine tourism, in In the future, in the cellars it will be possible to provide information but also sell typical handicraft and agri-food products – states the coordinator Giovanni Antonio Sechi – this will allow us to network with the territory and improve the offer».
A work in synergy with the Wine Tourism Movement : «Often those who come to our cellars don't know where to go for dinner or which monuments to visit – remarks the president Valeria Pilloni – widespread information would be needed. We will soon make available a digital guide created in collaboration with Lonely Planet which will be previewed at Vinitaly."
«We work to grow together with the territories – concludes – among the new features there will be the tourist harvest. In December, the memorandum of understanding was signed with the national labor institute so that companies can also let tourists harvest the grapes while observing safety regulations. This is another sector for Sardinia to exploit given that we have tourists until late October. In Piedmont, Veneto, Friuli and Tuscany it is a consolidated practice."
