Champagne and Burgundy are seeking to use their new Unesco world heritage listings to garner more tourists.
The areas are already popular for wine tourism, but the country as a whole is attempting to further enhance this sector. The foreign minister’s goal is to increase tourist numbers from 84 million last year to 100 million, with wine as one of the key areas.
The French tourism development agency believes 7.5 million visitors every year go the French wineries, among them 2.5 million from abroad.
The region of Alsace led the way by being the first to create a wine route for tourists. Since the mid-50s itineraries there have been laid out for people to visit large and small vineyards. Other regions, encouraged by the government, followed.
Some areas have established cluster areas where vineyard and tourism sectors see visitors can easily access accommodation, restaurants, wine tours and access to heritage sites all within a brief radius. The concept has taken off in some areas, already more popular, while others have yet to feel the benefit.
The Champagne region, which traditionally has not been a top visitor destination, is particular optimistic that its Unesco recognition will up tourists numbers by 20% or even 30%, as happened to Saint-Emilion in 1999.
Nevertheless, champagne sales totalled €4.5bn last year out of the country’s total €12bn in sales.
Tourist activities are on the increase in many regions, including walks, cycle trips, concerts, courses on wine making, appreciation and cooking. In some vineyards, people can help pick the grapes at harvest, while at others weddings and conferences can be held.
France is the world’s top wine-producer and exporter.
California’s Napa Valley, however, has become such a hot spot for tourists that its roads are jammed with cars, busses and SUVs bringing in five million visitors each year.
Its wine trail, first popularised in the 1960s, is a closed circuit through 55kms to reach some 400 vineyards, but this just adds to the road chaos and jeopardises the very nature which makes the wines possible in the first place.
