PR No.: 16029

The initial results of the prototype were presented as part of the Alimentaria exhibit being held in Barcelona through 28 April. The event was attended by Eunji Tae, Technical Coordinator for the UNWTO Affiliate Members’ Knowledge Network Programme; José Luis Bonet, President of the FMRE, of Freixenet and of Alimentaria; Guillaume Rousseau, consultant for the wine tourism prototype; and Rodrigo Burgos, Director of the Pagos del Rey Wine Museum (Félix Solís), representing the wineries participating in the project.

The initiative is a good example of public-private cooperation, as pointed out by José Luis Bonet during his remarks. “The main objective of this project is something that is as necessary as it is difficult to achieve: cooperation among competing businesses as well as with public administrations and international institutions, to obtain mutual benefits”, he said.

The development of this project, modelled after UNWTO prototypes, entails an innovative methodology in its approach to wine tourism. The idea is to offer the traveller a new approach to touring Spain and experiencing its style of life, by visiting wineries that act as interpretation centres for the locality or region in which they are located.

The UNWTO team and the member wineries of the Leading Brands Forum are working in the localities or regions of the wineries involved in the initiative: Galicia, La Rioja, Penedés, Priorato, Ribera del Duero, Somontano, Toledo and Toro.
 

Objective: increasing the demand for wine tourism in Spain

According to figures provided by Frontur for the year 2015, Spain received more than 68 million international travellers. As reported by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, the country produces more than 40 million hectolitres and has the world’s largest area under vine cultivation. However, only 2% of the international tourists who visit Spain do so to engage in activities connected with wine tourism, which underscores the sector’s potential.

The prototype, developed by UNWTO in collaboration with the Leading Brands of Spain Forum, includes an analysis and diagnostic assessment of the current situation with regard to wine tourism, in comparison with other markets and in the technical design of the tourism model. It delves into such areas as the structuring of supply, brand identity, and business and product development.

The project is currently in its third phase, which focuses on the creation of a governance model and includes strategic development, operation, marketing and promotion of the tourism model and tourism products. This third phase also includes the preparation of a business plan for activation of the model in phases four and five of the prototype.
 

Presentation to the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization

The prototype will be officially presented on 11 May, in Málaga, to coincide with the UNWTO Executive Council session then to be held in that Andalusian city. The meeting will be attended by ministers from UNWTO member States as well as public and private institutions in Spain’s tourism sector, which will have the opportunity to consider application of the prototype in their respective countries. The brand and logo will be presented at that time as well as the results of the first two phases and the contribution of the wineries to the prototype.

The final results of this project will be presented at the First Global Conference on Wine Tourism, organized by UNWTO and the Government of Georgia, to be held in that country on 7-9 September 2016.

The Prototypes Methodology of the World Tourism Organization

The UNWTO Affiliate Members Programme introduced a methodology in 2014 to create, promote, and develop a model for tourism based on public-private cooperation.

This methodology provides a framework for action and cooperation among member States and Affiliate Members of UNWTO (public institutions, private enterprises and universities) to generate innovative tourism models applicable internationally and that adhere to the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.

Two prototypes have been developed thus far: ‘Madrid Precious Time’ and ‘Punta del Este 365’. The first was designed with the aim of generating a “premium” tourism model for visitors to Madrid, and the one designed for Punta del Este is about the challenge of seasonal tourism in that Uruguayan city. Both the “Precious Time” and the ‘Punta del Este 365’ are prototypes of an international character that can be replicated at destinations seeking to attract and gain the loyalty of “premium” tourists and the generation of a model to solve the challenge of seasonality.
 

About OMT/UNWTO:

The World Tourism Organization (OMT/UNWTO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, is the principal international organization with a central and decisive role in promoting the development of responsible, sustainable and accessible tourism for all. It offers a global forum for tourism policy issues and a useful source of knowledge about tourism. It is composed of 157 countries, 6 territories, 2 permanent observers and more than 480 Affiliate Members.
 

About the Leading Brands of Spain Forum:

Founded in 1999, the Leading Brands of Spain Forum (FMRE) is a public-private partnership

composed of more than 100 major Spanish enterprises, with leading brands in their respective sectors, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Competitiveness, the Ministry of Energy and Tourism, the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX), and the Spanish Office of Patents and Trademarks (OEPM). Its mission is to develop the strategic importance of these brands and promote their internationalization, thereby strengthening the image of Spanish products and services abroad through these brands and in collaboration with the administration.
 

Additional information:

- Prototype ‘Madrid Precious Time’

- Prototype ‘Punta del Este 365’

Contactos:

UNWTO Media Officer: Rut Gómez Sobrino

Tel.: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications and Publications Programme 

Tel.: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

FMRE Marketing and Communication Officer: Lucía del Valle

Tel : (+34) 91 426  38 43 / (+34) 620 32 56 33