Wine tourism represents an excellent opportunity for destinations to diversify and improve their tourism value chains, promote rural development and revitalize areas that can be affected by depopulation and social exclusion. The Conference will look at policies, innovation, destination management, sustainability and the exit from the COVID-19 crisis with practical and inspiring examples. Held under the theme "Wine Tourism – a driver for rural development’, the conference will focus on the contribution of wine tourism to regional socio-economic integration and its great potential to generate development opportunities in rural destinations.

Building on UNWTO's work to position tourism at the center of recovery plans, the conference presents a unique opportunity for experts from an increasingly growing wine tourism sector to work together to find concrete solutions to rebuild and make tourism a fundamental tool for a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient future for rural communities. As the event begins, Portugal, this year's host, will lead us through a tasting experience of its seven wine regions, while the last day of the Conference will offer immersive wine tourism experiences in different Alentejo vineyards. In this region, the force of the earth marks time and cities like Elvas and Évora, listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, stand as evidence of the value of its people.
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We look forward to having you with us in Alentejo or joining us online.

Zurab Pololikashvili
Secretary-General, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

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