Dairies and cheese producers, once purely production sites designed exclusively for manufacturing, have started opening their doors to the public and offering new activities, driven by growing interest in cheese tourism in Italy.
Following what has already happened in wine tourism – now a mature segment with a steadily evolving offer – the cheese sector has also seen a significant increase in both traditional and innovative proposals, as highlighted by the first report on Cheese Tourism in Italy.
A growing phenomenon, still only partially measured
Unfortunately, as with other agri-food sectors, there is still no precise official information on the public opening of these production sites. National statistics do not yet provide specific data on the volume and structure of the tourism offer connected with cheese tourism.
However, one interesting fact stands out: among production-site experiences, visits to dairies were the second most enjoyed experience among Italian travellers in 2023, just behind winery visits. This may indicate that a structured and growing offer already exists.
The experiences visitors are looking for most
Guided tours, tastings and product purchases
The main tourism services offered by dairies are three: guided visits to the company, tastings and product purchases. These are the elements travellers look for most often and expect to find when choosing a cheese tourism experience.
According to the data collected:
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72.9% of respondents want to buy cheese directly from the producer;
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69% are interested in tastings, especially when paired with wines and local dishes;
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65.6% are motivated by the possibility of discovering production places and processes first hand.
One of the most relevant issues for the development of cheese tourism concerns the organisation of company spaces. They need to balance HACCP food-production requirements with visitor welcome and safety needs.
The data collected in the first Cheese Tourism Report in Italy show that interest in cheese tourism is distributed differently across age groups, offering useful insights for more targeted offers.
Young people (18-24), for example, show strong curiosity about the production dimension: interest in seeing how cheese is made is growing (+3.8%), as is the appeal of hands-on experiences directly involving transformation processes. This age group is less engaged, however, by purchasing or tasting experiences, probably because of lower spending power or different travel motivations.
The central age groups (25-44) are more stable in their behaviour, with a slight decline in interest compared with previous years, but they still represent an important target, especially for tasting and purchasing activities that combine experience and convenience.
The greatest increase in interest is found in older age groups (55-64 and over 65). In particular, the desire to buy cheese directly at the dairy is growing (+6.9% among 55-64 year olds), as is the interest in tastings paired with local products (+5.1%). This more mature audience, often with greater spending power and free time, is especially receptive to experiences that combine authenticity, quality and cultural depth.
The first report on Cheese Tourism in Italy
Cheese-related tourism is emerging as a fast-growing strategic niche, with positive effects on the local economy, employment, destination promotion and sustainability.
The first Report on Tourism and the Cheese World, created by Roberta Garibaldi and promoted by the Associazione Italiana Turismo Enogastronomico with the support of the Municipality of Bergamo and the FORME project, has now been presented. It is an original study that portrays a growing sector that is still undervalued, yet capable of generating authentic experiences, territorial identity and new economic opportunities. The document analyses data, trends, experiences and network projects, outlining an integrated vision between tourism, cheese production and local development.
