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Wine tourism now accounts for a quarter of global winery revenue

30 October 2025 By Sophie Arundel

A new international study has found that wine tourism remains a profitable and expanding part of the global wine industry, with 65% of wineries reporting positive returns and more than half planning to invest further.

Wine tourism continues to prove a strong revenue driver for producers worldwide, with 65% of wineries describing it as profitable or very profitable, according to a new study by Hochschule Geisenheim University in collaboration with UN Tourism, the OIV, the Great Wine Capitals Global Network and WineTourism.com.

The Global Wine Tourism Report 2025, based on responses from 1,310 wineries across 47 countries, found that 88% currently offer some form of wine tourism activity, most commonly tastings (79%), cellar tours (68%) and vineyard tours (61%).

Visitor growth and demographics

The report records a median of 1,500 visitors per winery each year, with domestic tourists making up 65% of total visitors. While most wineries report stable or rising visitor numbers, 43% of European producers saw growth over the past year compared to 28% of those overseas.

The largest visitor segment is aged 45–65 (82%), followed by 25–44 (59%), while only 2% of wineries report guests under 25, suggesting ongoing challenges in engaging younger audiences.

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Investment and innovation on the rise

More than half of wineries (51%) plan to invest further in wine tourism, and 73% expect their wine tourism activities to grow in the future. The study also found that 78% of wineries collaborate with other organisations to enhance experiences.

Innovation remains a clear focus: wineries widely agree that “being innovative gives a competitive edge” (mean rating 3.9 on a five-point scale). However, actual investment in developing new experiences is moderate (3.5). The most common innovations include authentic local storytelling (65%), greater use of social media (59%) and food and wine pairing experiences (58%).

Profitability, challenges and sustainability

Wine tourism contributes an average of 25% of total winery revenue, rising to 32% in non-European wineries. Key challenges identified include economic pressures (51%), decreasing consumption (51%), and changing consumer preferences (40%).

Sustainability continues to gain ground: 67% of respondents said it is important or very important for their wine tourism business, and 61% expect it to become even more significant within five years.

Outlook

Overall, 68% of wineries believe wine tourism will grow in their region, and more than 60% see it as a valuable tool in times of crisis. As the report concludes, wine tourism “plays a key role in diversifying rural economies, creating jobs, and supporting local communities” — and, according to these latest findings, its momentum shows no sign of slowing.

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