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5 questions to answer before starting wine tourism at your winery Are you ready to open your winery to the world? Wine tourism is a form of tourism that focuses on wine and all that surrounds it: the culture, architecture, landscape and gastronomy of the wine regions. It is a way to get to know the essence of a territory through this emblematic product and to enjoy unique and unforgettable experiences. If you have a winery and you want to take advantage of the potential of wine tourism, you should know that it is not enough to open the doors and wait for visitors to arrive. Wine tourism is a competitive and demanding sector that requires strategic planning, a differentiated offer and professional management. In this article we are going to give you some tips so that you can prepare your winery for wine tourism and turn it into an attractive and profitable destination. Five questions are not enough for a well-managed wine tourism department, so we have grouped them in five blocks. Define your target audience: What type of wine tourists do you want to target? What are they looking for, what do they need, what do they value? Are you couples, groups, families, people with reduced mobility? Do you prefer guided tours, tasting courses, activities in the vineyard, accommodation at the winery? Study the market and segment your offer according to the profile of your potential customers. Create your value proposition: What makes you different and special? What can you offer that other wineries don’t have? What history, what philosophy, what style do you have? Find your differentiating element and communicate it in a clear and attractive way Use the famous storytelling. It is the story of your family, how two friends came together for a common good, or the vocation of your recent creation that makes your project unique. Align the image of your wine tourism experiences with the identity of your establishment. Design your wine tourism product: What services and activities will you offer? How are you going to organize them, at what price, with what schedule, with what duration? What human and material resources do you need? What regulations must you comply with? Plan your wine tourism product in detail and make sure it is of high quality, safe and sustainable, both economically and environmentally. Look for the most emblematic corners of your facilities, that which you know will remain in the retina of those who visit you. A vineyard, a barrel room, a tasting room… Your house your rules. Promote your winery: How are you going to promote your winery and your wine tourism product? What channels will you use, what messages will you convey, what audience will you reach? Make your marketing and communication plan go hand in hand. Position yourself in the market and generate interest and trust in your potential customers. Use social networks, digital platforms, media and make frequent analysis of the returns they generate. Don’t forget about partnerships with other industry players. The nearby restaurant, an archaeological site or a monument that can be visited. These synergies are essential, as it is in everyone’s interest to make the region more dynamic. Build customer loyalty: How are you going to keep your customers satisfied and repeat customers? How are you going to maintain contact with them, how are you going to measure their degree of satisfaction, how are you going to resolve their doubts or complaints? Design a loyalty plan that allows you to create a lasting relationship with your customers and turn them into prescribers of your winery. It offers personalized treatment, after-sales service, a benefit or incentive program. Nowadays there are multiple possibilities, such as gamification of wine tourism, where you can get to know your customers in depth while they learn about the world of wine (your wine) and have fun. As you can see, wine tourism is an opportunity to make your winery known, but also a challenge that requires adequate preparation. If you follow these tips, you can turn your winery into a successful wine tourism destination. Although it may seem a daunting task, there are external formulas to rely on in order to achieve the goal. At Thegetawine we can help you to market your experiences and, if needed, to generate a visitor management plan that fits your values, so you can show your best face. Tell your story. Open your cellar to the world!