IN BREVE
- Vinitaly Tourism 2026 will take place at Veronafiere from April 12 to 15, with a program full of meetings and tastings.
- Wine tourism becomes a central focus in the wine system, supported by significant growth data and an increase in direct sales.
- Veronafiere and Wine Tourism Hub aim to create an operational platform to connect supply and demand in the wine tourism sector.
- The program includes focus on topics such as administration in wine tourism, digitalization opportunities, and the importance of the sector globally.
- The event features meetings with experts, specialized operators, and presentations of research on the development of wine tourism in Italy.
Skills, vision, and operational tools to strengthen Italian wine tourism in global tourism. This is the goal of Vinitaly Tourism 2026, returning to Veronafiere from April 12 to 15 as part of the 58th International Wine and Spirits Exhibition. Following last year’s debut, the initiative presents a renewed format in content and a new central location: the gallery between halls 2 and 3. The program runs throughout the event with meetings, tastings, and discussion sessions dedicated to the sector. Additional conferences and in-depth sessions are scheduled at the Palaexpo.
“With this edition of Vinitaly Tourism – comments the deputy general director of the fair company Gianni Bruno – wine tourism becomes a permanent part of the event, taking on a central role in the development of the wine system. This is a strategic and structural choice by Veronafiere, positioning wine tourism no longer merely as an ancillary activity of Italian wineries, but as a true competitive asset with business-oriented planning.”
WINE TOURISM DATA AND TRENDS
Early findings from the Wine Suite Report 2026, which will be presented during Vinitaly Tourism, indicate a growing sector. In 2025, the average value of a wine tourism booking reached €39.4 per adult. Over the past four years, the sector has recorded a CAGR of 11%.
Established wineries show an average annual visitor growth of +16.8%. Direct sales are also increasing, with +21.4%, a figure higher than visitor flow growth and indicative of greater commercial conversion capacity.
INCOMING INTERNATIONAL BUYERS
Vinitaly Tourism is organized by Veronafiere with Wine Tourism Hub in collaboration with Wine Suite, Wine Meridian, and Winedering. The goal is to build an operational platform connecting wine tourism supply and demand. Supporting this direction is the incoming program organized by Veronafiere, which will bring national and international tourism buyers to Verona from the United States, Brazil, Croatia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Thailand.
Among the professionals involved are tour operators, travel designers, and operators specialized in food and wine experiences, in the outdoor and nature segments, cultural tourism, and luxury experiences. A Business Point is dedicated to them inside the gallery between halls 2 and 3. The themed area also includes an exhibition space dedicated to companies active in wine tourism and services for wineries, as well as the Tourism Room for seminars, tastings, and talks.
THE EVENT PROGRAM
The calendar of meetings combines market analysis and operational tools for businesses.
Sunday, April 12 opens with a session dedicated to administration and taxation in wine tourism (2:30 PM), preceded by experiential tastings scheduled daily from 1:00 to 1:30 PM.
Monday, April 13, after the official inauguration of Vinitaly Tourism at 10:00 AM, the program includes the sessions “Celiac disease and wine tourism: numbers, trends, requests, and opportunities” (11:30 AM) and “Impact of wine clubs and direct-to-client” (2:30 PM). A masterclass by The Wine Net on the wine tourism offering of Italian cooperatives is also scheduled.
Tuesday, April 14 will feature the presentation at 11:30 AM of the “Hospitality manager and tour operator” survey, dedicated to the needs and challenges of the sector. In the afternoon, “Wine bars: from pouring to experience” and “Human resources, HR recruiting, and job opportunities in the world of wine tourism” are scheduled (2:30 PM and 4:00 PM).
The program concludes on Wednesday, April 15 at 11:30 AM with a seminar on the opportunities of digitalization in wine tourism, covering shipping, guest management, and software.
IN-DEPTH SESSIONS AT PALAEXPO
A second hub for discussion on wine tourism is planned at the Palaexpo, in the Vivaldi Room. Four focus sessions dedicated to the sector will take place here.
Monday, April 13 begins with “Wine tourism in Italy, the value of proximity. The journey to wineries: the real challenge of wine tourism“, organized by Movimento Turismo del Vino (10:30 AM – 12:00 PM). In the afternoon, “Italian wine in global tourism. Attractiveness and positioning in the American market“, presented by Roberta Garibaldi in collaboration with Vinitaly Tourism (2:00 PM), will follow.
Tuesday, April 14 will feature the presentation of the Unicredit-Nomisma Wine Monitor research on the role of wine tourism for the development of Italian wine businesses (10:30 AM – 12:00 PM).
The program concludes on Wednesday, April 15 with the session “MetodoContemporaneo. Observatory on arts and wine landscape“, presented by the University of Verona and BAM Strategie Culturali (10:30 AM – 12:00 PM).
