Round table held during the presentation of Thegetawine, the marketing and advice platform on wine tourism with an international vocation.
Thegetawine was born with a clear objective: to become a benchmark to make the wine culture of our country known abroad.
49% of tourists who choose Castilla y León as their main destination for their trip carry out wine tourism activities, thus being the second autonomous community in reception of wine tourists, which is why Thegetawine’s journey begins in this community. However, when a foreign tourist arrives in the region, it is more difficult for them to know which wineries or wine tourism offer are in Castilla y León and, by extension, in Spain.
Thegetawine has been officially presented today to professionals from the tourism and wine tourism sector, in Valladolid. A project sponsored by Madison MK for its long and successful experience in the tourism sector and “its commitment to the business fabric of Castilla y León”; for the intention of internationalization with which Thegetawine was born and “that the spearhead is here”, as stated by the Director of Corporate Marketing and Communication at MADISON Experience Marketing, Sonia García.
For her part, the head of the project, Virginia Villanueva, confirmed that “47 wineries and six complementary services, to which La Rioja, Catalonia and Galicia will be added” are already part of Thegetawine.
Precisely, a representative of each of these wine regions has participated in the round table ‘Digitalization and Internationalization of Wine Tourism in Spain’: Chelo Miñana, director of wine tourism at the Masaveu group; Marcos Yllera, president of Bodegas Grupo Yllera; Roberto Puras, coordinator of the Association of Wineries of the Haro Station District; and María Baró, director of wine tourism of the Perelada Group.
Marcos Yllera, whose group has opted for 3D technology for the reconstruction of the winery, believes that “digitalisation or the arrival of AI is a complement” to all wine tourism activity; because wine tourism is “perception through all the senses” and this is how Roberto Puras describes it, who after the pandemic has perceived the need for tourists to touch and feel.
As for the internationalization aid offered by Thegetawine, the coordinator of the Association of Wineries of the Barrio de la Estación de Haro, believes that it is important because “the foreign tourist must be gone out and looked for” and trusts that “unity is strength” and that all the wine tourism offer that is created, it must fill gaps and fill in what is not done.
Undoubtedly, everyone agrees that digitalisation helps to sell and communicate because “wine tourism is telling”, to which Chelo Miñana adds that “wine tourism has come to order history and tradition”.
The question of whether wine tourism is wine or not has also been put on the table. From the Peralada Group, María Baró, is blunt: “wine tourism is wine and it is more” because it must manage to “turn the place into a destination”.
Thegetawine arrives “as a useful tool with solutions for wineries and foreign tourists”. This is explained by the head of the project, Virginia Villanueva, who adds that “it aims to be a showcase for large and small wineries” to which relevant information will be offered to define, redirect, strengthen and improve their wine tourism offer, “through the collection of data and its subsequent analysis”.
It will do so through its digital platform, grouping the offer from origin and offering, for example, the possibility of renting a car with a driver so that tourists can enjoy their wine tourism visits to the fullest.
Villanueva ended with a firm declaration of intent: “we must be able to sell what is ours and become a support to make our wine culture, of quality, known abroad”. This has made it possible for Thegetawine to become part of the Golden Mile of Valladolid Wine.
