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Just a few days ago, La Rioja hosted the 7th UNWTO World Wine Tourism Conference, a unique opportunity to place our region at the epicentre of the debate on the present and future of wine tourism, which the Rioja Alta Wine Route did not want to miss.
Under the slogan ‘Inclusive, sustainable and digital wine tourism: Towards greater territorial cohesion’, over two days, Thursday 23 and Friday 24 November, more than 350 people from up to 40 countries gathered in Logroño to reflect on the challenges facing the sector. Through debates, round tables and presentations, current issues were discussed, such as the need for greater training in the wine market, new trends in wine tourism and the need for greater digitisation to improve experiences and obtain data and information.
In addition, for several of our partners, this World Conference was of great value to make themselves known. Such is the case of the wineries of Barrio de la Estación, Bodegas Muga, Bodegas Rioja Alta, Bodegas CVNE, Bodegas Gómez Cruzado, Bodegas Bilbaínas and Bodegas Roda, where attendees travelled to participate in a series of thematic workshops on the link between wine tourism and topics such as gastronomy, art, culture and sustainability, among others.
They were also able to visit the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture in Briones, immerse themselves in its works of art, and taste wines from the wineries accompanied by different examples of Riojan cuisine, all of which was accompanied by a flamenco show.
This Conference also served as an opportunity to meet again with professionals and friends who are part of the Spanish Wine Routes Club (ACEVIN). Thus, we had the opportunity to meet again with representatives of the Ruta del Vino de Rueda, Ruta del Vino Ribera de Duero, Ruta del Vino Rioja Oriental and Ruta del Vino Marco de Jerez, with whom we share the objective of promoting the tourist destination within the framework of the objectives of sustainable development and intelligent tourist destination.
In addition, on the eve of the start of this 7th World Conference, we were fortunate to be able to receive a Chilean delegation made up of leading wine tourism professionals, representatives of producer and institutional groups in the country, with whom we were able to share experiences, create synergies and show them the potential of wine tourism on the Rioja Alta Wine Route.
Finally, I would like to remind you that, in view of the slogan chosen for this world meeting ‘Inclusive, sustainable and digital wine tourism: Towards greater territorial cohesion’, there is no doubt that our strategy, focused on sustainability as a driver of social development and job creation, is going in the right direction. This is what we explained in this meeting with some thirty journalists and specialists in gastronomy and tourism, to whom we explained our concept of wine tourism on the Rioja Alta Wine Route; the key to creating jobs, preserving heritage, maintaining the population and fighting against depopulation. In short, the driving force for the sustainability, promotion and balance of the territory in all its facets: economic, social, environmental, patrimonial, cultural, etcetera. For transversal sustainability in capital letters.
