The Rioja Alta Wine Route was the most visited wine tourism destination in 2023

• With 389,399 visitors, the Rioja Alta Wine Route is crowned as the country’s leading wine tourism destination in 2023.
• In the last year, the number of wine tourists on the Rioja Alta Wine Route has increased by almost 20%.

The Spanish Association of Wine Cities (ACEVIN) has revealed that the Rioja Alta Wine Route was the most visited in 2023, standing out among all the routes in the country. This is the result of the sixteenth Annual Report on Visits to Wineries and Wine Museums prepared by the Tourism Observatory of the Wine Routes of Spain. As this study indicates, the Rioja Alta Wine Route consolidated its position as the most popular, attracting 389,399 wine tourists, who were divided between wineries and museums, with 313,813 and 75,586 visits respectively.

It is also worth highlighting the significant growth (almost 20%) experienced by the Rioja Alta Wine Route compared to 2022, when it received the not inconsiderable figure of 313,974 visitors, which placed it as the second most visited route in Spain.

In order of relevance, the most visited Wine Routes of Spain in 2023 were:

1. Rioja Alta Wine Route, with 389,399 visitors.

2. Wine and Brandy Route Marco de Jerez, with 382.716 visitors

3. Ribera del Duero Wine Route, with 368,537 visitors.

The report underlines that wine tourism in Spain as a whole rose to 2.97 million visitors in 2023, an increase of 18.2% over the previous year and almost reaching the maximum levels previously recorded. This increase not only reflects the recovery of the sector after the pandemic, but also the growing interest in wine culture in Spain.

Wine tourism generated an economic impact of more than 100 million euros, with 102,208,200 euros in 2023, a record figure that exceeds those of previous years. This increase is partly due to the increase in the number of Wine Routes and the higher average expenditure of wine tourists. Moreover, the total economic impact, taking into account spending on accommodation, restaurants and other tourist activities, would triple this figure.

The report highlights the prevalence of domestic visitors, who accounted for 78.8% of the total, although there was also a significant increase in the percentage of international visitors. This growth is attributed to the constant promotion of the routes, both nationally and internationally, in collaboration with Turespaña.

More offer and new Routes

During 2023, the offer of wine tourism services exceeded 2,600 companies, including wineries, accommodation, restaurants and themed leisure companies. In addition, the Almansa Wine Route joined the Wine Routes of Spain product club, bringing the total number of routes to 37.

As for the seasonality of wine tourism, October and August were the months with the highest number of visitors, with October standing out for coinciding with the grape harvest. These figures reflect the consolidation of wine tourism as an attractive alternative to traditional sun and beach destinations.

The Report on Visitors to Wineries and Museums on the Wine Routes of Spain is one of the two that ACEVIN carries out annually to analyse the supply and demand of wine tourism in our country. These reports are carried out by the Observatorio Turístico de Rutas del Vino de España, the only organisation that currently carries out regular, contrasted analyses with a wide and sufficiently representative population.

The complete report can also be consulted on the website of the Wine Routes of Spain, in the section ‘Tourist Observatory RVE.