Puglia now shares first place with Tuscany among Italian food and wine destinations
The new report on food and wine tourism in Puglia, presented by Roberta Garibaldi at TTG Rimini and developed for Pugliapromozione, confirms that the region is experiencing a golden moment in tourism appeal.
Among Italian travellers, Puglia now ranks jointly first with Tuscany as the most recognised food and wine destination, both at 41%, ahead of Emilia-Romagna and Sicily. Compared with 2019, the region has recorded an 11% post-pandemic jump in recognition.
Sea remains the first travel driver, but the destination is clearly multi-motivational
The sea still acts as the leading driver of incoming demand, cited by 42% of visitors, but it no longer tells the full story. Travellers also choose Puglia to experience the territory, discover local food specialities, visit family and friends, enjoy culture and spend time in nature.
The geography of preferences confirms the leadership of Salento, followed by Bari and its Adriatic coast, Gargano and Daunia, with Valle d’Itria among the most relevant destinations.
Food and wine experiences are widespread and well rated
Almost all tourists report having enjoyed at least one food and wine experience in Puglia. Culinary experiences are the most common, followed by tastings and purchases, visits to production sites, events, active and relaxation experiences, and tours or itineraries.
Typical restaurants, markets and artisan shops, food-related events and street food all perform strongly. Olive oil plays a particularly important role, with direct purchases at producers, tastings in mills and visits to historic oil mills widely diffused among visitors.
Spending is meaningful and food lifts the value of the trip
Daily spending is significant: for 64% of tourists it falls between 51 and 150 euros, while 8% belong to a high-spending segment above 200 euros. Travellers motivated by food and wine show the clearest upward spending shift, with 29% spending more than 151 euros per day.
On food and wine specifically, most travellers allocate between 11 and 30 euros of budget, but the share rises further among those whose main motivation is food and wine tourism.
The offer is broad, but information and pricing still need work
All experience types receive positive evaluations. The main weaknesses highlighted by the report concern price perception and the ease of finding information, both areas where the destination still has room for improvement.
Another important result is the way tourists combine experiences: food and wine integrate especially well with seaside holidays, cultural visits, local shopping and excursions to nearby destinations.
The report confirms that Puglia is not only a region with strong products, but a destination capable of combining sea, food, culture and rural identity into a broad and attractive tourism proposition.
