Wine Tourism: France's Ambition for Leadership

France: A major wine producer and tourist destination

France is THE top global tourist destination. For more than 10 years, France has maintained its position as the leader in the global tourism industry, despite facing stiff competition from Spain and the United States.

The country with the tricolor flag is also the historic producer of prestigious appellations that wine lovers around the world eagerly seek out. As the world’s leading wine producer, France has long since proven its worth. Today, the challenge for institutions, businesses, and winemakers is clear: to develop a sector with strong potential within France’s sectors of excellence. It was in this context that Hervé Novelli, former Minister for Trade, Tourism, and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, established the Higher Council for Wine Tourism in 2008.

The first National Wine Tourism Conference lays the groundwork for the sector’s development

A few years after the creation of the organization tasked with promoting the development ofwine tourism in France, the first National Wine Tourism Conference was launched: an event organized by Atout France.

It was against this backdrop that the Palais des Congrès de Paris, specially reserved for the occasion, hosted the industry’s key players on November 20 to discuss wine tourism. Between conferences on cross-cutting topics related to wine tourism, wine professionals, winemakers, and representatives from institutions were able to network in a space set up specifically for the event. At the booths highlighting the various wine-growing regions, exhibitors and visitors exchanged ideas and envisioned the future of the wine tourism sector in the coming years. Some offered tours and tastings at the winery, others electric bike rides (Domaine Rieflé-Landmann) in Alsace or stays in giant barrels (Domaine du Rocher des Dames) in the Côtes du Rhône.

Late in the afternoon, the CSO President announced the completion of a set of guidelines outlining 20 key areas for improvement that will make France the world leader in wine tourism.

A bold ambition that matches France’s capabilities

In France, in 2016, more than 10 million people visited French vineyards. This high-potential market and its figures bode well for the future of the wine tourism industry. Bordeaux, Champagne, Alsace, and Burgundy—the most visited wine regions—enabled France to generate over 5.2 billion euros in 2016. Competing with the giants of Napa Valley (United States) and La Rioja (Spain), French vineyards must remain focused on enhancing the appeal of their offerings in order to surpass the ambitions outlined by Hervé Novelli.

At a time when the government aims to welcome more than 100 million tourists by 2030—up from 87 million last year—wine tourism appears to be the ideal way to achieve these goals.