InterWine on future of wine tourism

Wine may be the reason for coming, but what keeps a guest coming back to a destination is much broader than just a glass of wine. People, stories, space, local heritage and the experience built around wine are becoming an equally important part of wine tourism today. This is one of the conclusions of the panel "How does wine become a reason for traveling? - From wine heritage to a tourist product through the InterWine project", held at the Dobra Berba Winery in Sveta Jana, organized by the Zagreb County Tourist Board, the lead partner of the InterWine project.

The panel brought together representatives of the tourism, wine, development and cultural sectors, as well as the generation that could create and present such tourist products to guests in the future. The discussion was attended by Ivana Alilović, Director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board, Saša Štula, owner of the Dobra Berba Winery, Tomislav Komanović from the Zagreb County Development Agency and Liljana Omerzu from the Posavina Museum Brežice, a Slovenian partner of the InterWine project.

Special guests of the panel were first-year students from the Zagreb Hotel and Tourism School, who followed the discussion as part of their fieldwork. The focus of the discussion was on what today's guest expects when they come to a wine destination. The panelists agreed that classic tasting is increasingly becoming just a starting point. Guests want to meet the people behind the product, understand the area where wine is made, taste local gastronomy and experience a story that cannot simply be repeated elsewhere.

Director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board Ivana Alilović pointed out that the way destinations think about wine as a tourist product has also changed in recent years.

"Wine itself has great value, but for tourism, everything that can connect people, landscape, gastronomy, heritage and authentic stories of the place is key. Today's guest does not just want to taste wine, but also wants to know where he came from, who welcomes him and what makes that place special. That is why, through Via Vino, but also through the InterWine project, we want to create experiences that connect different stakeholders and give the guest a reason to stay longer, learn more and come back again," said Alilović.

From the perspective of a winemaker, Saša Štula spoke about how a winery must simultaneously remain a place of production and be ready to open its doors to the guest. This is precisely why events, connecting wine with gastronomy and other content, and collaborations that attract a new audience are becoming increasingly important. The conclusion was that developing the tourist sector does not mean turning every winery into a classic tourist attraction, but finding a model that suits its character and preserves authenticity.

On the development side, Tomislav Komanović opened the question of what is needed for a good idea to become a sustainable tourist product. In addition to investment and infrastructure, the emphasis was placed on people and cooperation, projects that can open up space for development, but also the need for the content to continue to live on after the end of the project period.

Liljana Omerzu from the Posavina Museum in Brežice brought a cross-border perspective to the conversation. Cultural heritage has proven to be an important part of the wine story because wine does not only talk about production, but also about the history of the region, customs, architecture and lifestyle. The InterWine project is an example of how, through cooperation between Croatia and Slovenia, wine can be connected to cultural heritage and tourist content, and offer guests a reason to get to know both sides of the border during one trip.

The panel was held as part of the InterWine project, a cross-border project between Croatia and Slovenia that connects winemaking, viticulture, cultural heritage and tourism with the aim of creating a common tourism product and stronger connections between stakeholders on both sides of the border. The Zagreb County Tourist Board is the lead partner of the project.

The InterWine project is implemented as part of the Interreg Slovenia – Croatia 2021 – 2027 Programme, and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.