Mikulov, South Moravia – April 1, 2025
The 16th annual International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC), held in Mikulov, South Moravia on March 25 and 26, 2025, concluded with resounding success. The conference brought together leading figures in the wine tourism industry for a dynamic exchange of knowledge, partnership building, and exploration of Czechia’s rich cultural and oenological heritage.
Warm Welcomes
As a pre – conference event, Mikulov Tourism Office actively showcased the town’s cultural highlights by organizing a dedicated Walking Tour for conference delegates. Additionally, the South Moravia Tourism Board played a pivotal role in the IWINETC Welcome Reception held at the Gallery Závodný. Dagmar Fialova (Marketing Director of National Wine Centre), Petra Korlaar (Deputy Mayor of Mikulov) and Vladimíra Brucháčková Závodná (Galerie Závodný) delivered captivating welcome speeches emphasizing the great potential South Moravia and Bohemia have for the wine and culinary tourism industry.
The Conference agenda of talks commenced with opening remarks from Anthony Swift, Director of IWINETC and this was follwed by a destination presentation of South Moravia by Martina Grůzová, Director of the South Moravia Tourist Board and a presentation by Tereza Hofmanová of CzechTourism, who offered a broader perspective on how Czechia is emerging as a key destination for wine and culinary tourism.
Dream Team of Industry Experts
Over the course of a day and a half, a distinguished panel of industry experts, including Paul Wagner, Robin Shaw, Adela Parreira, Stefano Tulli, Judith Lewis, Catherine Leparmentier, Jochen Erler, Natalia Burlachenko and Klára Kollarova presented insightful talks on various aspects of wine tourism. The diverse audience of 150 attendees, representing 27 countries, actively participated in discussions and workshops, fostering a vibrant exchange of ideas and experiences.
B2B Wine Tourism Workshop
A cornerstone of the conference was the dynamic B2B Workshop, facilitating over 500 pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings. This B2B enabled tour operators from key wine tourism markets such as the United States, Nordic countries, Germany, Australia, UK and Hong Kong to connect and build partnerships with wine tourism experience providers from Armenia, Austria, France, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, UK, and the Czech Republic (including South Moravia).
The conference program also included a dedicated exhibition area featuring wines and highlighting new destinations for delegates to discover
Host Destination
The support of Czech Tourism and South Moravia Tourism Board is acknowledged with gratitude. The invaluable contributions of many supporters further amplified the success of the event. Networking events, held at the National Wine Salon, Korek Wine Bar and Restaurant, and the Ryzlink Winery allowed delegates to indulge in authentic South Moravian wine and culinary tourism experiences, solidifying connections and fostering lasting memories.
In a statement, Anthony Swift, Director of IWINETC, highlighted the overall success of the event, the quality of the speakers, and Czechia’s emergence as a rising star in wine and culinary tourism.
Exploring South Moravia & Bohemia Wine Tourism and Looking Ahead
42 Hosted agents were divided into four groups, embarking on curated tours that showcased the best of South Moravia wine and culinary tourism in the following sub – regions:. Znojmo, Vélke Bílovice, Pálava Hills and Slováko. A press trip with journalists writing for diverse publications including the Telegraph, The Buyer, Daily Mirror, (UK) Weser-Kurier (Germany), La Semana Vitivinícola (Spain), Fermen (Poland), Wine Business Magazine (Australia) and Gambero Rosso (Italy) extended their programme with visits to wine producers and cultural highlights in Kutna Hora and Melnik (Bohemia Wine Region)
The conference concluded with the anticipation of the IWINETC 2026 destination, set to be announced on June 1, 2025.
