EUROPEAN PAPER

ON WINE TOURISM
 GENERAL PRINCIPLES

I. THE FUNDAMENTALS OF OENOTOURISM

1. By oenotourism we mean to designate the development of all tourist and “spare
time” activities, dedicated to the discovery and to the cultural and wine knowledge
pleasure of the vine, the wine and its soil.

2. The wine-growing and wine-producing territories should get involved and give an
absolute priority to the principles of sustainable development.

2.1. The wine-growing and wine-producing territories should play a decisive role in
the conservation, the management and the development of the territory’s property.
They must give their concrete experiences a model role, both with regard to their
objectives and in the application methodology and in the responsible management
and of the relationships between the territory and its exploitation.

2.2. Territorial as well as wine-growing and wine-producing resources should be

defended, preserved and carefully managed, as public wealth, in order to be able to
be always available for the individual and economic use of all those living in the
territory.

2.3. The use of territorial resources, and particularly of wine-growing and wine-
producing resources, should not endanger the survival of the animal and vegetal
species of the ecosystem.

2.4. The wine-growing and wine-producing territories should be efficiently defended

and protected from the risks of an anarchic development of the urbanization.

2.5. The wine-growing and wine-producing areas can represent a reference area for
the development of a territory. The management models, defined on a rigorously
scientific basis, should ensure the conservation of ecosystems in their integrity and
their biological complexity.

3. In order to reach their objectives, the wine-growing and wine-producing areas

should promote an efficient cooperation between themselves and they should not
limit their actions only to their territories.

4. The wine-growing and wine-producing areas should play a decisive role in the
spreading of a genuine “Wine Culture”, which consequently implies the need of an
integral, correct and serious management, of a reasonable exploitation of the wine-
growing areas in ecological and social terms.
 II. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE EUROPEAN CHARTER ON OENOTOURISM

The signatories undertake to participate in the development of oenotourism based on the

following objectives:

1. PROMOTING OENOTOURISM ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLES OF

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The European Charter on Oenotourism expresses the will of the involved actors, of the
tourist professionals and of the wine-growers to promote an oenotourism which complies
with the principles of sustainable development.

The European Charter on Oenotourism commits the signatories to define a local strategy
in favour of the “sustainable oenotourist development”, defined as a “form of
development, planning or oenotourist activity which respects and preserves natural,
cultural and social resources of the territory in the long run, and which can also fairly and
positively contribute to economic development and to the full development of the people
living, working and residing in these territories”.

The development of oenotourism planned this way needs a global concerted reflection as
well as the reinforcement of all the positive interactions between the oenotourist activity
(wine-growing and wine-producing as well as tourist area) and the other economic areas
of a territory.

2. HELPING THE TERRITORIES AND THE ASSOCIATES DEFINE A TOURIST

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM OF THEIR OWN

The subscription to the Charter should lead to the definition of a long-term common
strategy for tourist development and to an activity program in favour of the territory,
thanks to the contribution of the promotion companies and/or organisations.
3. SELECTING A COMMON STRATEGIC VIEW

The subscription to the Charter should lead to the definition of a long-term common strategy
for tourist development, with an activity program in favour of the territory thanks to the
contribution of the promotion companies and/or organisations. In order to do that, wine-
growing and wine-producing areas should promote the exchange of information in terms of
data, knowledge, management models, technologies and analysis models.

The oenotourism system is made of the following sub-systems:

• Territory
• Tourism
• Wine-growing and Wine-producing Culture

Becoming a member of the European Charter on Oenotourism involves making a

diagnosis, consulting the signatories of the Charter as well as their partners, defining
common strategic objectives, offering the necessary means, carrying out an action
program and assessing the results.

To that end, we suggest regrouping the three sub-systems quoted above, in two large
operational areas, for which we suggest accepting the following commitments:

I. For the territory or all the organisations, whether they have a local, regional
or national character, and which have competencies in the planning and the
management of a territory: the commitment will have to result in the carrying out
of an analysis of the territory’s requirements (constraints and opportunities),
elaborated and accepted by the associates. This matching aims at defining an
oenotourist orientation that should be more adequate for the territory as a whole.

II. For the wine-growing and wine-producing company and/or all the companies
offering tourist services: the commitment will have to result in the analysis of their
activity. They will have to adapt their offer to the clients’ expectations, to implement
the measures for the development of the local heritage and to take into account the
environment and the sustainable development in the management of the company.
4. THE WILL TO DEVELOP COOPERATION

Becoming a member of the Charter means adopting a working method based on the
principle of cooperation, which is expressed in the definition and implementation phases of
the sustainable oenotourist development program. This will have to result in an intense and
loyal activity and cooperation between the actors who manage the territory.

This European Charter on Oenotourism will become an instrument for activating this
cooperation. It will have to allow organising the sharing of responsibilities and defining
individual and collective commitments of all actors involved, whether they are public or
private.

– Actors of the territory: the strategy suggested for an oenotourist area, within the
framework of the Charter, will necessarily have to be defined and carried out together with
the representatives of the wine-growing and wine-producing as well as tourist areas, with
those of the other economic areas and with the inhabitants (residents) of the concerned
region, as well as the authorities. This strategy will have to be carried out by means of the
agreements signed with the local signatories of the Charter and their partners, within the
framework of the sustainable oenotourist development.

– Wine-growing and wine-producing as well as tourist companies in the

territory: they will have to get involved in the reflection and application of the principles of
sustainable development, with regard to the oenotourist territory.
 ACTORS OF THE TERRITORY

I. PREAMBLE

By becoming members of the European Charter on Oenotourism, the managers of the

oenotourist territory choose to promote a tourist development compatible with the principles
of sustainable development. They undertake to give priority to the coherence of the actions
being carried out in the territory and to work from a long-term perspective.

THE OBJECTIVES OF AN OENOTOURIST TERRITORY

• To differentiate as a territory and especially as far as tourism is concerned.

• To set more ambitious objectives as far as tourism is concerned.
• To involve all tourist managers as much as possible in oenotourist policies.
• To influence tourist development in their territory.
• To reinforce visitor awareness activities.
• To promote a social-economic development, respectful of the environment, in the
territory.
• To develop original, high-quality and highly competitive tourist products on the national
and international markets.
• To acquire a set of assessment tools for the tourist policies.
 II. OBJECTIVES

I. To accept and respect the principles of sustainable development stated in this

European Charter on Oenotourism adapting it to the local context.

II. To define a mid-term strategy - 3 years - in favour of the oenotourist development

of each territory.

The strategy will have to set the objectives based on:

• Assessment and defence of the Wine Culture.
• Economic and social development.
• Protection and improvement of the inhabitants’ life quality.
• Control of tourist flow and typology and improvement of the tourist offer quality.

III. To promote a sustainable and high-quality oenotourist development

The territory managers will have to promote a sustainable oenotourist development

based on quality criteria. To that end, the territory managers respect the principles and
the rules defined in the European Wine Route “Handbook”.
IV. To elaborate this strategy by means of an annual intervention program whose
cumulative objectives will be the following:

1. TO CREATE A SPECIFIC TOURIST OFFER. The oenotourist territory will have to

promote the creation of tourist products and activities that favour the discovery and the
exegesis of the Wine Culture, in its widest sense. These authentic, high-quality
products can be considered as service deliveries for the potential clients.

2. TO IMPROVE THE TOURIST OFFER. In order to meet the clients’ expectations, the
administrators of an oenotourist territory will have to develop together with their
associates a program for the continuous improvement of the tourist offer quality,
through:

• Client knowledge. The tourist products and activities will have to be designed for
well-determined markets and based on the objectives of oenotourism.

• Integral and continuous quality management. Attention will have to be paid to

quality management in all areas: reception structures, tourist structures, service
deliveries, tourist products, promotion and marketing.

• The search for new clients. The territory managers will have to undertake to find
new clients sensible to the sustainable and high-quality tourism.

3. TO CREATE AN ATTRACTIVE WINE-GROWING AND WINE-MAKING OFFER FOR

THE OENOTOURIST CONSUMER. To promote the adaptation of the wine-growing
and wine-making offer related with the oenotourist development, on visitor’s demand
and desire, in all areas: access, reception, instruments and structures, services,
personnel of the consumer service department, tasting sessions, product purchasing.
4. TO INCREASE USERS’ AWARENESS, through:

• Education and consciousness development. Education concerning the

environment and the discovery of the enological heritage will constitute a priority in
the tourist policy of the territory.

• Information. High-quality and easily accessible information will have to be

suggested for the visitors and the inhabitants of the territory, especially concerning
the tourist offer and the exceptional richness of the Wine Culture.

• Marketing and responsible promotion. The promotion and sales activities of the
oenotourist territory will also have to allow increasing visitors’ awareness with
regard to the principles of sustainable tourist development. These activities will
have to contribute to the management of the visitors in time and space.

5. TO TRAIN THE MAIN ACTORS. Training will have to become a fundamental tool for
the implementation of the sustainable development strategy of the oenotourist territory.
Training programs on the sustainable development for the technicians of the territory
will have to be organized on a regular and periodic basis. More specifically, seminars
will have to be organized on Wine Culture for the tourist operators, and on sustainable
tourist development and planning for the operators of the wine-growing and wine-
making area.

6. TO PROTECT AND TO IMPROVE LIFE QUALITY OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE

TERRITORY. Improving inhabitants’ life quality will have to be a priority in order to
preserve the quality of the relationships between inhabitants and visitors. From this
perspective, the oenotourist territory will favour the participation of the residents in the
decisional process, the promotion of local employment and the promotion of
exchanges between visitors and inhabitants.
7. TO DEFEND AND TO PROMOTE THE NATURAL AND THE HISTORICAL
HERITAGE OF WINE, through:

• Respect of the capacity to receive a visitor flow on the territory. Specific

measures will have to be taken in order to ensure the tourist development
respecting the capacity of the visitor flow and within the limits of the acceptable
and reasonable modifications of the natural, cultural and social environment of the
territory.

• Wine Heritage and Culture development. The tourist development of the

territory will adapt to the development of the natural, cultural and historical
heritage.

• Protection of natural resources. Hydrous, energetic and environmental

resources management programs will have to be elaborated, in collaboration with
the local communities.

• Contribution of tourism to the maintaining of the heritage. Systems

integrating the tourist development, the conservation, the maintaining and the
development of the local cultural and historical heritage will have to be defined.

8. TO DEVELOP THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ACTIVITY, through:

• Local economy support. Oenotourist actions performed by the actors of the

territory will have to promote the initiatives concerning the different areas of the
economy. Having in view this objective, the oenotourist territory will favour the
organization of a distribution circuit for the local products and services.

• Development of new employment forms. The oenotourist territory should

undertake to promote new employment forms in the tourist area.
9. CONTROL TOURIST FLOW AND TYPOLOGY, through:

• Visitor flow knowledge. Regular analyses and controls of the visitor flow in time
and space will have to prevail, in order to adopt management methods for these
flows.

• Visitors flow channelling. The provisioning of tourist structures, the organisation

of itineraries for the discovery of the territory and the information provided to the
visitors will have to contribute to the channelling of the tourist flow and favour the
visitors’ high-quality experience. These measures will have to allow at the same
time increasing the economic impact of the tourist activities in the territory and to
favour the permanent (not seasonal) option.

• Transport control. Promotion activities will have to be carried out for the use of
public transport, both for the access to the oenotourist territory and for trips inside
of it. Reducing the automobile traffic and promoting bicycle riding, horse riding and
walking will constitute priorities.

• Management and integration of tourist structures. The recovery of existing

buildings will be preferred to the making of new ones. On the other hand, charters
committing the appropriate guarantee and management of the reception structures
will have to be elaborated, giving priority to the use of local materials and to the
respect of the architectural requirements.

10. TO PROMOTE AND TO MARKET THE OENOTOURIST HERITAGE. The promotion

and the marketing of the oenotourist heritage will have to become a priority of the
territory managers. The appropriate promotion and marketing of the tourist offer of the
territory will guarantee demand flows which will have to respond to the principles of
sustainable development. The territory managers undertake to take the necessary
measures for the creation of new demand flows concerning the territory, according to a
precise marketing plan.
 PRIVATE ACTORS

I. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS

By becoming a member of this European Charter on Oenotourism, the signatory company

undertakes to work in close collaboration with the institution that manages the territory and to
do everything that is necessary in order to eliminate any negative influence of its activity on
this territory. It will also make sure to develop its activity in such a manner as to contribute to
the improvement of the economic and social development of the territory.

OBJECTIVES FOR A COMPANY

• To identify itself as a company especially involved in oenotourism.

• To create an attractive, high-quality and highly competitive offer based on the

discovery of the wine culture, for the different target audiences.

• To attract new clients interested in the Wine Culture.

• To secure the loyalty of the existing clients and to establish fruitful relationships with
the clients.

• To attract clients who are interested in oenotourism during the whole year.

• To participate in the synergy of the commercial association with the other economic
entities of the territory.

• To promote the development of oenotourism in its territory.

• To intensify the awareness activities for the visitors.

• To develop economic activities which respect the environment.

• To promote its business to the different target audiences, by developing its oenotourist
activity.
 II. THE OBLIGATIONS

1. To accept and respect the principles of sustainable development listed in this

European Charter on Oenotourism, adapting them to the activity of the company.

2. To define a mid-term strategy - 3 years - as far as the oenotourist development of

the company is concerned.

The strategy will have to establish the objectives to be reached in terms of:

• Offer, products and services related to the Wine Culture.

• Defence and promotion of the Wine Culture.
• Sustainable development.
• Control of the tourist affluence and typology.
• Constant improvement of the oenotourist offer quality.
• Promotion of the oenotourist offer.

3. To articulate this strategy in an annual action program whose objectives will have
to be:

a. Creating a specific offer around the Wine Culture.

The company will have to promote the creation of products and activities that
favour the discovery and the interpretation of the Wine Culture. Oenotourist
products and activities will be created in the specific area of the company. They
will be attractive, of high-quality and authentic, and they will be able to be
identified as service deliveries by the potential clients.

b. Constantly improving the oenotourist offer.

In order to meet the clients’ expectations, the companies of an oenotourist

territory will have to develop together with the territory managers a permanent
improvement program for the quality of the oenotourist offer, through:

• An integral and permanent management of the quality of the offer.

It will have to look after quality at all levels related with the Wine Culture, in
the action of its own business. The company will continually search
formulas for improving the quality of its clients’ oenotourist experience. It will
also get involved in the politics adopted by the territory managers as far as
permanent improvement is concerned.
 • Better client knowledge. In order to ensure a better satisfaction of their
clients, the companies will have to regularly transmit to the territory
manager all the information concerning their desires and needs.

4. To increase users’ awareness, by means of:

a. Education and consciousness rising.

Education concerning the environment will be one of the priorities of the

company’s policy. Moreover, it will have to equip all its activities with contents
having a pedagogic value, which will aim at making users understand and
appreciate the Wine Culture.

b. Information.

Visitors will have to be provided with high-quality and easily accessible

information.

c. Marketing and responsible promotion. All promotion and communication

documents will have to underline especially the importance and the dimension of
the Wine Culture. They will also have to mention the membership of the company
to this European Charter on Oenotourism.

5. To train the employees.

The training will have to be a fundamental tool of the company. Its personnel, its part-
time workers and their accompanying personnel will have to be made aware of the
oenotourist development. They will have to update their knowledge of the Wine culture
and of the soil. In order to do that, the company undertakes to take charge of the
continuous education and training of its personnel.

6. To defend and promote the natural, cultural and historical heritage of the wine, by
means of:

a. Facility management and integration.

During the extension, renovation or adaptation works, the company will have to
guarantee the respect of the volumes, of the local architectural style, of the
materials and of the integration into the environment. For eventual new facilities,
the renovation of the edified heritage will have to be used by priority rather than
make new buildings.
 b. The promotion of the heritage related with the Wine Culture of the territory.

The company will undertake to enrich the heritage related with the Wine Culture
of the territory. In order to do that, not only will it have to promote the offer
concerning its own business, but also that of the whole territory. In order to reach
that objective, it will closely collaborate with the territory managers and with the
different oenotourist service providers of this territory.

c. Contribution to the conservation of the heritage.

The company undertakes to help to the conservation, the maintenance and the
promotion, in its area of practice, of the local cultural and historical heritage.

d. Natural resource protection.

The company will have to be willing to start a water consumption, energy and
space management program, aiming to reduce costs and to preserve natural
resources. It will have to acquire products made respecting the environment, as
far as their composition and condition is concerned (biodegrading, reusable,
recyclable or recycled products). It will have to create a waste selective
distribution and transformation program, in association with the territory.

e. Transport control. The clients will have to be encouraged to make a maximum

use of public transport or to discover the territory by bicycle, by walking or by
other non-polluting means. This policy also includes the access to the company’s
facilities and the travelling inside the territory.

7. To develop the economic and social activity, through:

a. Aid for the local economy.

The company’s policy will have to be based on the principle of giving preference
to local products and services, with the framework of a “quality / price” report
accepted by both parties. The company will also undertake to give priority to the
local labour.

b. Safeguarding the inhabitants’ life quality.

With the aim of ensuring an enthusiastic welcome to its clients on the territory, the
company undertakes to develop its activities respecting its inhabitants’ life quality
 as much as possible. It will also have to participate as much as possible to the
activities and events of the locals.

8. To control the tourist affluence and typology.

The company will undertake to follow the policies adopted by the territory managers in
order to analyse, control and channel the visitor flows with the aim of favouring a high-
quality experience for the visitors, of increasing the economic impact of the tourist
activities on the territory, as well as favouring its “seasonal adjusting”.

9. To promote and market the oenotourist heritage.

The promotion and the marketing of the oenotourist heritage will have to constitute
priorities for the companies. The promotion and the marketing of the oenotourist offer will
guarantee demand flows that will respond to the principles of sustainable development.