President of Movimento Turismo del Vino (MTV), Chiara Lungarotti, is an entrepreneur with a unique passion for wine and winemaking, having inherited her love of the land from her father and confesses that she could recognize its scent and flavor blindfolded! Chiara is also the CEO of the various companies forming the Lungarotti Group, and has been heavily immersed in Wine and Tourism in Italy for many years.
As one of the speakers at the 2012 International Wine Tourism Conference, we had the opportunity to speak with Lungarotti about wine tourism in Italy. Below are Lungarotti’s responses to our questions:
1. Can you talk about the purpose of Movimento Turismo del Vino, and what inspired its creation?
The Movimento Turismo del Vino (Wine Tourism Movement) is an association created in 1993 that has encouraged Italian wineries to open their doors to visitors: Italy has now become the country of “Cantine Aperte,” the annual event organized by MTV on the last Sunday of May. MTV is a non-profit association with the aim of promoting wine tourism and improving the wine areas’ image and prestige, as well as their economic development. MTV wants to stand for protection of the environment and for quality agriculture; promoting a natural life-style that puts the visitor at the centre of attention.
2. MTV is conducting a survey profiling the wine tourist in Italy, what does the survey hope to accomplish and how will it change the landscape of Italy’s tourism industry?
The survey will give us the tools to draw guidelines for new developmental projects and help our members to offer always the best and the most appropriate hospitality in the wineries to their visitors.
3. You will be revealing the results of the survey in the closing speech of the upcoming Wine Conference in Perugia, Umbria. What has the research uncovered about who is visiting Italy and what they are looking for in their travels?
We are still working on the details, however, it will be a great pleasure to illustrate the results of the survey in occasion of the meeting!
4. MTV has over 1000 members in all corners of Italy, what is the selection process and how much more do you expect the association to grow?
Among the almost 1000 members of the Association are some of Italy’s most prestigious wineries, selected on the basis of very precise characteristics, first of which -of course- is the high quality they offer in welcoming visitors. More services we give to our members, greater will be our ability to help them attract visitors, more the Association will grow.
5. What wine(s) do you enjoy most on special occasions?
Of course I love Italian wines……
Join the International Wine Tourism Conference and network with Chiara and 200 – 300 more attendees. Chiara will be delivering a talk at the Wine Tourism Conference on Febuary 1, 2012 at 17:00 titled: Italian Wineries Speak and a New Tourism Strategy is Born
