According to data from the 2023 Report , 35 percent of Italians plan a trip to discover Sicilian flavors; followed by Sardinia and Puglia. Naples stands out among cities, Spain among foreign destinations, Paris among international metropolises
Sicily and Naples in Italy, Spain abroad. These are the favorite destinations of Italian food and wine tourists, according to data compiled by the "Italian Food and Wine Tourism Report 2023″.
Traveling to discover Palermo, Catania, Messina and other Sicilian cities, local flavors and visiting wineries, farms, restaurants and, of course, pastry shops, is the main object of desire for the sample surveyed, who, when asked "Thinking about your future food & wine travels, which regions would you like to visit?" answered "Sicily" in 35% of cases. And Sicily also dominates among wine and food tourists - 48 percent consider it the best destination for food & wine, ahead of Campania and Emilia-Romagna. On the other hand, when it comes to planning an upcoming tour of regional flavors, the podium is completed by Sardinia in second position and Puglia in third. Next are Tuscany, Trentino-Alto Adige, Campania, Emilia-Romagna and Umbria.
Going into the details of the survey, it is mostly younger people (25-34 years old) who desire Sicily as their next food and wine destination, coming in at 38 percent, higher than the overall average. However, the ranking positions are confirmed in every age group. Among the female population, in contrast to the male population, there is a greater desire to visit Tuscany, which ranks third, tied with Puglia.
On the other hand, analyzing the ranking of past experiences by food and wine tourists reveals a desire to identify new destinations for future taste trips. Sardinia, in second place among the regions to put on the agenda for upcoming food and wine tours, is only 15th in the ranking of those already visited. And Sicily itself does not go beyond the fifth position. This ranking sees Emilia-Romagna excel, ahead of Tuscany and Campania: "These are the three top Italian regions in terms of food and wine, and it is normal that, having already deepened their knowledge of the typical products of these territories, Italians are eager to discover new places and flavors," says Roberta Garibaldi.
Turning to individual cities, Naples' food and wine appeal is unrivaled. The capital of Campania is firmly at the top of the list of cities considered to be the best in Italy, ahead of Bologna in second place and Rome in third. Following in order are: Palermo, Florence, Catania (first city not a regional capital), Milan, Bari, Turin and Lecce.
The analysis of the 2023 Report, which obtained the support of Unicredit, Visit Emilia, Valdichiana Living and Smartbox, once again shows the preference of Italian food and wine enthusiasts for Italy over foreign destinations - 71 percent chose the Belpaese, 8 percent only abroad and 21 percent both - and at the same time highlights the growth potential of some regions with high tourism potential in terms of food and wine. "This is the case of Friuli Venezia Giulia, a land of great wines (Collio above all) and of dop products such as San Daniele ham, which wins only a few of the preferences among the best regions in Italy, on a par with two other regions rich in agri-food heritage such as Marche (denomination wines, cheeses, Ascoli olives) and Umbria (denomination wines, extra virgin olive oil, truffles and pork products). For these and other small regions, such as Valle d'Aosta, which is mentioned by only a small number of respondents, or Liguria, which stops at 6 percent, the tourism prospects related to food, wine and other local products are very high, but there is a need to communicate more effectively the riches they possess in the food and beverage sector," comments Roberta Garibaldi.
Finally, a look across borders. The top3 best countries from a food and wine perspective are all European, with Spain in first place and followed by France and Greece. And there are only two non-European nations in the top10: the first is Japan, which ranks seventh on the list, and the second is Mexico, in ninth place. Among cities, as expected, Paris is depopulated, ahead of Barcelona and Madrid. As future foreign destinations, the choice of Italian food and wine tourists reflects the ranking of the best countries, with some inclination to plan a trip to Portugal (fourth position).
