Rome, Feb 3 (IANS) Wine tourism in Italy generates five billion euros ($6.5 billion) a year, just-released data shows.
According to data released at the International Wine Tourism Conference that was held for the first time in Italy Monday-Thursday, some three million people are involved in the sector, ANSA news agency reported.
Over 400 tour operators and experts gathered in Perugia in central Italy for the conference.
“There is also a strong connection between wine and other forms of tourism,” Chiara Lungarotti, president of the Wine Tourism Movement that organized the conference, told Xinhua.
“Wine provides a unique opportunity to promote the extraordinary potential of the touristic market in an integrated way,” she said, adding that wine does not only represent an excellent drink, but especially a lifestyle.
“Italian wine is not only a high-quality product, but an integral part of the history, culture and tradition of our country, thus wine tourists enjoy discovering the contest beyond it,” she stressed.
