Guest experience in the wine tourism industry: 5 common mistakes and how to fix them

Wine tourism is experiencing remarkable growth: 12 million visitors in France are expected in 2023, representing a 20% increase in seven years. The proportion of international visitors fluctuates between 39% and 45% according to recent studies, placing French vineyards in global competition for customers' attention, time, and purchasing power. Associated tourist spending reaches €5.4 billion , and the broader economic impact is estimated at nearly €7 billion .

At the international level, the results of the Global Wine Tourism Report , published in 2025 under the impetus of Gergely Szolnoki Based on a study of 1,310 wineries in 47 countries , the data shows that wine tourism represents approximately 25% of the average revenue of wineries open to wine tourism (with a peak of 32% outside Europe), that 66% of wineries consider this activity profitable, and that 80% offer a structured package. This data confirms that the visitor experience is no longer an add-on, but a major driver of the wineries' business model.

However, the same weaknesses are repeated in many vineyards. They do not stem from infrastructure but from a lack of consistency in the process, which weakens the estate's ability to create value.

Here are the 5 critical areas where the most significant differences occur.

1. Before the visit: information builds trust

The majority of visitors begin their experience long before arriving at the resort. Data from Geisenheim shows that 70% of them prepare their visit by consulting multiple sources: the resort's website, tourism platforms, social media, and online reviews (TripAdvisor, Google reviews, etc.). A simple inconsistency between these channels is enough to create a breach of trust.

When a venue has different opening hours across platforms, unclear pricing, or an opaque booking system, visitors interpret these signals as disorganization. They then anticipate a less enjoyable experience even before arriving. This phenomenon is documented in tourism perception research: initial trust influences final satisfaction, even when the visit is successful.

Conversely, domains that have structured their digital ecosystem are seeing an average increase of 18% in qualified traffic. Information is therefore not a secondary element: it constitutes the first act of hospitality.

Correcting this weakness involves setting up a single information repository, regularly updated and consistently applied across all channels, so that the visitor never has to doubt the reliability of the domain.

2. Arrival at the estate: the setting speaks for itself before the encounter

The initial welcome is a crucial moment. Research in cognitive science applied to tourism shows that visitors form a stable mental image of a place within the first 30 seconds . This impression then influences their attention span and level of engagement.

In many areas, the arrival process is the weak point: confusing traffic flow, lack of signage, reception areas not designed to accommodate the public, and the absence of a clear entry sequence. Under these conditions, visitors devote a portion of their mental energy to understanding their surroundings rather than engaging with the narrative. Research in cognitive psychology shows that the attention required for orientation reduces the mental availability for absorbing the content of the visit. A well-designed welcome is not merely an aesthetic detail. It is a cognitive lever that determines the quality of the experience.

Correcting this step involves defining a clear, structured arrival route visible from the outside, with consistent signage and a reception area designed to guide the visitor effortlessly.

3. The narrative: organizing understanding rather than multiplying information

The GWTR 2025 survey shows that 54% of visitors identify the quality of the narrative as the primary factor in their satisfaction, ahead of the tasting itself. This data demonstrates that visitors are primarily seeking a perspective that explains the unique character of the estate.

Yet, in many vineyards, the narratives remain too technical, insufficiently structured, or focused on excessive detail. Cognitive studies demonstrate that a structured narrative increases memorability by 2.3 times . Saying "less is more" allows the visitor to understand more. An effective narrative builds logic, narrative tension, and coherence that give meaning to the estate's choices.

Correcting this area involves formalizing a stable tour framework, with three to five key messages, and training the team to tell the story of the domain in a way that is engaging, readable and adapted to each type of audience.

4. The tasting: a moment of hospitality that conditions the conversion

The tasting is often perceived as the natural part of the visit, whereas it is a crucial moment in shaping perceived value. Research in experiential marketing and tourism science shows that the coherence between the narrative, the pace of the visit, and the staging of the tasting significantly influences purchase intent and brand recall .

When this sequence is too technical, too fast-paced, or disconnected from the story being told, the visitor becomes less emotionally engaged and retains fewer meaningful elements. Conversely, a tasting conceived as an act of hospitality enhances the understanding of the wines and encourages commercial engagement.

Correcting this step involves defining a tasting protocol that extends the narrative, clarifies key messages, creates a moment of pause, and establishes a genuine relationship rather than a simple service.

5. After the visit: transforming a one-off experience into a long-term relationship

The GWTR indicates that 41% of visitors are ready to buy again within 12 months , but only 18% receive a message or offer after their visit. This gap represents a major loss for domains.

The relationship does not end at the exit of the cellar. Estates that have structured follow-up, with personalized content, dedicated clubs, offers accessible from home, or invitations to events, see on average an increase of +28% in purchase recurrence and a rate of ambassadors multiplied by 2 .

Correcting this step involves setting up a simple relationship protocol: a follow-up message, a clear entry point to remote purchase, and a schedule of activities that maintains the link over time.

All the data converge towards the same idea: the wine tourism visit experience has become a strategic lever for competitiveness, loyalty and value creation.

The five weaknesses identified—information, reception, storytelling, tasting, and customer relations—account for the majority of the discrepancies observed in current visitor experiences. Addressing them does not require heavy investment, but rather overall coherence, a clear intention, and a nuanced understanding of the mechanisms that shape the experience.

Estates that master these steps create clear, rich, and engaging experiences. They enhance their appeal, strengthen their identity, and consolidate their business model in a context where success no longer depends solely on the quality of the wine, but on how the estate tells its story, welcomes visitors, and builds relationships.

CALICE Hospitality and Wines supports estates and territories in structuring their wine tourism experiences, from strategy to operational implementation.

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