Italy can lead the evolution of food and wine tourism: authentic experiences, sustainability and innovation to remain the most desired destination
It is undeniable that Italy has always been the destination par excellence for food and wine tourism. The variety of products, including food and drinks, and of course their quality, means that millions of foreigners come every year from all over the world to taste our specialties. Yet, this type of tourism is undergoing a profound transformation, and if our nation wants to continue to be a protagonist, it will be better for it to understand these changes and interpret them in its favor in the best possible way. Without obviously doing without one’s “personality”.
From the Report on Italian Food and Wine Tourism 2025edited by Roberta Garibaldipresident of Aite, data emerge on what the “food and wine tourist” is really looking for. Let’s discover them together.
From tasting to authentic experience
Apparently, today’s traveler is looking for much more than a typical dish: he wants to experience the area and discover the people who animate it. Taste tourism is evolving towards simple, authentic experiences rooted in local life. Italy has everything it takes to remain at the top. Indeed, it even has room for growth, thanks to its local peculiarities which focus on simplicity and authenticity (values promoted by Slow Food since its birth, in Bra, Piedmont, in 1986).
Moments of “gastronomic intimacy” are growing: tastings for small groups, direct meetings with producers, dedicated tables And shared kitchenswhere food returns to being an opportunity for relationships. At the same time, new forms of taste communities are emerging, come on wine club to shared gardensand a strong interest in the well-being and longevitywhich drives travelers to destinations linked to quality of life and Mediterranean diet.
And in fact, from the Report on Italian Food and Wine Tourism, it emerges that Italy (home of the Mediterranean diet) remains synonymous with gastronomic excellence: 55% of Germans, Swiss and Austrians, and 54% of Americans associate our country with food and wine, rather than with monuments or natural landscape beauty.
The new challenges of food and wine tourism
According to Roberta Garibaldi, the future of taste tourism is currently based on four fundamental strategic levers. The first is the territorial stewardshipwhich implies the transition from a logic of simple promotion to one of shared care of the territory, in which all local actors are committed to preserving and enhancing environmental and cultural resources. The second lever concerns the measurement of impactsthat is, the need to evaluate not only the economic results of tourism, but also its social and environmental effects, to promote truly sustainable development. A third key element is represented by digitalization and artificial intelligencetools that allow you to manage activities more efficiently and personalize the experiences offered to visitors. Finally, the professionalization takes on a decisive role: it is essential to train new professional figures capable of enhancing the entire local supply chain, integrating tourism, food and wine and territorial management skills.
In short, competitiveness is no longer measured by the number of visitors, but by the quality of the experience and the ability to generate value for communities. In particular, food and wine tourism can become a very powerful tool for regenerating villages and internal areas, counteracting depopulation and relaunching the rural economy which have characterized rural and mountain areas since the 1960s.
New skills and professional figures
One of the most critical points is the communication with the new generations. The languages of tourism must change: traditional brochures or storytelling are no longer enough. You need an authentic and visual digital presencecapable of speaking on platforms such as TikTok and YouTubewhere the perception of Made in Italy is formed. Only a small part of Italian agricultural businesses is present onlineand thus the opportunity to reach young, global travelers is missed. We can and must improve on this.
Transformation also requires new professionalisms: hospitality managers, food and wine tourism consultants, experience curators, product managers and tour operators. The future passes by territorial support networkssuch as Dmo (Destination Management Organization) and consortia, capable of accompanying small businesses towards innovation digital and tourist without distorting them.
Towards a regenerative tourism model
The new food and wine tourism is thus establishing itself as a strategic lever for sustainable development, in which agriculture, craftsmanship and culture interact in a single ecosystem. The future will be that of tourism capable of integrate natural, social and artificial intelligence, giving travel its human and regenerative value.
In an increasingly artificial world, true innovation could once again be that which arises from the harmonious relationship between man, community and nature: the very essence of Italian cuisine. They are precisely the ideals of Slow Foodwhich in fact was born in Italy and has always fought against the baroque and pompous style of certain “French cousins” and beyond. But if this is the new food and wine tourism, there is no need to worry: Italy will stay ahead and widen the gap with its pursuers.
