Wine tourism: the 2024-2026 strategy of Côtes-du-Rhône

Philippe Pellaton, président d'Inter Rhône. Photo Jeff Habourdin – Jeff Habourdin Photographe

Ce mardi, l’interprofession des vignerons et négociants des vignobles des côtes-du-rhône, Inter Rhône, a porté la neuvième édition des Rendez-vous de l’œnotourisme au centre des congrès du palais des Papes d’Avignon.  

This Tuesday, the inter-professional association of winegrowers and merchants from the Côtes-du-Rhône vineyards, Inter Rhône, organized the ninth edition of the Rendez-vous de l’oenotourisme(*) at the congress center of the Palais des Papes d’ ;rsquo;Avignon. Its president, Philippe Pellaton, revealed in the preamble the strategic ambitions in terms of wine tourism for the period 2024-2026. Although it is difficult to know precisely the current economic weight of wine tourism, it represents around 10% of turnover. "We've been working on it for three years already. In particular, we have a new slogan and a new logo. There are already many more offers, more constructed. We will continue to identify the existing offer, specified Philippe Pellaton.We want to give a boost, in particular by training work with winegrowers. As we represent several territories, from the Côte-rôtie to the Luberon, it is a question of finding a link between the regions. Our wine region is indeed a coherent entity, but local specificities must persist." 

New: communicate with the general public and launch a website  

If Inter Rhône has been communicating with tourism professionals for a long time, the novelty lies in communication for the general public, with a budget of 450,000 € per year. Eleven destinations are already labeled “Rhône Valley Vineyards”, including the Côtes-du-Rhône in Gard. In June, a website dedicated to wine tourism will be launched, vins-rhone-tourisme.fr, whose aim is "to become the reference platform for wine tourism. wine tourism in the Rhône valley". Overall, also indicated Philippe Pellaton, all the wine-growing regions of France s’are questioning the strategy to adopt to develop wine tourism. "A national strategic plan is under consideration."

(*) In which around a hundred wine and tourism professionals participated.