Wine tourism growing
2009-04-23
THE Cape Winelands are well positioned to capture an increasing share of tourism’s annual contribution of close on R160 billion to the GDP, according to André Morgenthal, a member of the local chapter of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network. The network is calling for entries for the Best of Wine Tourism Awards, now in their seventh year. It is estimated that local wine tourism generates around R6,75 billion annually in revenue, thanks to domestic as well as foreign tourists, who come predominantly from Europe, but increasingly from other parts of the world. “It is encouraging to see the growing numbers of wine tourists from North America, Asia, Australasia and our own African continent in the winelands,” Morgenthal said. “The diversity of tourists can perhaps be linked to the fact that wine producers have extended their spectrum of experiences to cater to a far broader demographic in terms of age, cultural background and income. “This is certainly reflected in the steady increase in the number and variety of entries for the Best of Wine Tourism Awards each year from virtually every one of the country’s wine-producing regions. This bodes well for the continued good health of the sector and its international competitiveness.” The Best of Wine Tourism Awards includes categories for dining, accommodation, architecture, parks and gardens, arts and culture, innovative wine tourism experiences, wine tourism services including conferencing and sustainable wine tourism practices. Entry forms can be downloaded from the www.greatwinecapitals.com website. Entries must be submitted to Helene Oosthuizen at helene@wosa.co.za by no later than Friday June 12 at 12:00. The category winners will be announced in November, along with the overall winner at the annual general meeting of the Great Wine Capitals, which celebrates its first decade in Bordeaux in November. The Cape Town chapter meets with its counterparts from Bilbao-Rioja (Spain), Bordeaux (France), Florence (Italy), Mainz (Germany), Mendoza (Argentina), Porto (Portugal) and San Francisco-Napa (United States).
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