A few weeks ago being in the vineyards of a winery at a very high altitude and watching the vines and the wind making them dance, I was thinking that this state I was in would for many be the perfect relaxation from the stress of everyday life.

A situation that each of us can experience with wine tourism.

Wine tourism has been a popular travel theme in Cyprus in recent years. And globally, wine and culinary tourism is one of the fastest growing tourism segments.

The variety of wines in Cyprus is special due to the geography of our country. We find different wines even from the same variety, at very close distances. This detail is important if combined with the local gastronomy of each region.

We should separate visitors into two categories. One is the wine connoisseurs who deal intensively with wine, have a high level of knowledge and seek specialized information. They are the group with the strongest growth.

The other is the rapidly growing group of wine and leisure travelers. Today, wine has become a valuable cultural asset and a status symbol. In the areas with wineries we see the development of other high-quality services, such as agro-tourism accommodation, taverns and others. It seems that the visitor attaches great importance to the high quality hospitality that defines wine tourism.

And while visitors to wine tourism in the past were in the age group from 35 to 50 years old, we now see that it is more important for young people: especially “Natural Wines”, “Vegan” and “Orange Wines”, are in demand among the youth. The fact that wine has become a lifestyle product and a trend especially among the youth can be seen in the modern labels as well as the new forms of wine presentation and tasting in modern ways, such as in combination with a painting exhibition, with Yoga, with brunch and culinary events, etc. the engine of this development is the generation of young winemakers who also inspire new visitors to wine.

Today’s guests arrive with very specific ideas and attach great importance to service and quality. Although these exist in Cyprus to a large extent, we still have a lot to do. And we must not forget that an enthusiastic visitor makes the best marketing.