Since 2010, the wine tourism industry has been growing thanks to initiatives from companies in the sector. In 2016, about 10 million French and international tourists came to France to discover its wineries. According to Atout France, France’s tourism development agency, foreign customers (Belgian, British, German, etc.) account for almost half of the visits.
Wine tourism has gained in popularity thanks to the diversified offer: cellar discoveries, creative workshops, weekends in a vineyard and themed visits in the vineyards. In the same vein, spiritourism has been widely developed through visits to distilleries, cocktail preparation courses and museums dedicated to the history and culture of drink. Thanks to the communications efforts of tourism, wine and spirits professionals, this industry is successful today.
How did the trade fair start?
Starting from a desire to contribute to the development of the wine sector, the company Wine & Spirit ITF, chaired by Alain Marty, decided to bring together two exciting worlds and create the WST (Wine & Spirit Tourism), the world’s first tourism trade show dedicated to wines and spirits.
The exhibition already has many key supporters such as the city of Reims, the president and director of the Bernard Magrez Group, Cyril Camus, president of the Camus Cognac House, the best sommelier in the world (1992) Philippe Faure-Brac, the Michelin starred chef Guy Savoy, and the president of the higher council of wine tourism and former secretary of state for tourism, Hervé Novelli.
The first edition of this new annual meeting of tourism, wine and spirits professionals will take place from March 12 to 14, 2023 in Reims.
An exhibition for wine, spirits and tourism professionals
In order to promote the different wine and spirits tourism destinations of the world, the show will welcome 300 exhibitors from 25 countries producing wines and/or spirits (rum, whisky, cognac, …).
Wineries, distilleries, tourist offices, hotels and spas from all over the world will be present during these 3 days and will present their offers displaying the tourist attractions in their region.
With exhibitors from France, Spain, Italy, Scotland and even South America, the show expects 1,000 visitors, both French and international, from the world of tourism. If you are tour operators, travel agencies, MICE actors or even receptive agencies; these unique destinations will have everything to please your customers!
During this new global exhibition, time will be divided between discussions, presentations and conferences on market news and strategies for promoting wine tourism initiatives.
Finally, this first edition will be marked by two prestigious evenings that will bring together visitors and exhibitors at the heart of Maisons de Champagne.
This beautiful initiative is an opportunity to highlight wines, spirits and tourist offers from around the world but also from the various French producing regions. Whether you are a visitor or an exhibitor, this is a unique opportunity to discover new places!
If you want to be part of the adventure, please register and view the practical information on our website.
