Within the framework of World Wine Tourism Day, which is celebrated annually on the second Sunday of November, the organizing committee of the first Global Summit of Responsible Wine Tourism met, which will be held in March 2024 in Enjoy Punta del Este and will feature with the support of the Municipality of Maldonado, Bureau of Punta del Este and Uruguay Natural.
Members of the World Wine Tourism Organization were present at the meeting, along with the Ministry of Tourism of Uruguay, Enjoy Punta del Este (summit venue), Ellis Group (OPC designated for the organization) and INAVI (National Wine Institute – Uruguay ), they held the first meeting of the local organizing committee, also made up of UdelaR, UTEC, Association of Winemakers of Uruguay, Uruguayan Association of Professional Sommeliers, Wine Tourism Eastern Region – Camino de la Vid y el Olivo-, Wine Tourism Metropolitan Region, Wine Tourism Central Region South, Wine Tourism Northern Region - Binational Destination and Workers in the Wine Sector. In addition, the event has the support of the Municipality of Maldonado, Bureau of Punta del Este and Natural Uruguay.
“We are proud to host the first world summit where wine tourism, gastrotourism and agrotourism come together to enhance our country and the industry worldwide. This meeting also consolidates the commitment we have with it and our efforts to encourage and promote it in our destination, Punta del Este,” explained Javier Azcurra, director of Institutional Relations and Sales of Enjoy Punta del Este.
The summit has an international executive committee made up of Arnaldo Nardone, advisor to the Ministry of Tourism of Uruguay; José Antonio Vidal, CEO of the World Wine Tourism Organization; Pablo Singerman, regional director for OMET Latin America; Javier Azcurra (Enjoy Punta del Este); Paula Vila (INAVI Uruguay) and Lourdes Alanís, CEO of Grupo Ellis. It will also be an ideal instance to generate synergies between professionals and entrepreneurs in the industry worldwide, suppliers, intermediaries and final consumers.
According to Arnaldo Nardone, in “Uruguay wine tourism is not yet “100% developed”, which is why he highlights the importance of organizing an event that allows “the sector to take off”, with training and inputs to improve the offer in the country, with great potential for this category of tourism.
For his part, for José Antonio Vidal, the association seeks “on the one hand, the socioeconomic development of wine destinations and their residents, and on the other, the creation of wine tourism destination brands.”
The summit will also have an exhibition area, business meetings, academic sessions and an extensive calendar of activities.
The European Network of Wine Cities (RECVIN) has celebrated World Wine Tourism Day since 2009.
Every second Sunday in November this special date is commemorated, which has already become a tradition for the different wineries and promoters of this activity and which invites fans to live various wine tourism experiences.
Along these lines, Enjoy Punta del Este will host the first Global Responsible Wine Tourism Summit, which will take place from March 19 to 21, 2024, bringing together hundreds of experts in oenology, viticulture and tourism, as well as wine and wine enthusiasts. gastronomy, which will contribute to enhancing a region such as Maldonado (Uruguay), which has had great development in terms of wineries, vineyards and important investments in the last 15 years and which has allowed Uruguayan wines to enter the world circuit of haute cuisine.
These actions consolidate the support that Enjoy Punta del Este offers to this industry with proposals such as the International Wine Show, which this year held its 20th edition and was attended by more than 140 wineries from all over the world. Added to this is the Uruguayan Wine Show, an initiative that the resort has been carrying out for two years with the best wines in the country.
In turn, in its commitment to deseasonalize tourism in Punta del Este, the casino & resort promotes the “Punta Wine Trips” experience, for those who wish to enjoy wine tourism, with a complete package that includes tickets, transfers, stays, dinners and visits to wineries, which is sold throughout Brazil with great success.
Those interested in participating in the Global Summit on Responsible Wine Tourism can stay up to date with the news at: https://cumbrenoturismo2024.org/