|
|
The DOCa Rioja appellation is Spain's most popular region for wine tourists. In 2022, 748,345 visitors came to the northern Spanish wine-growing region, which is once again positioning itself as a driving force in Spanish wine tourism. Although the "DOCa Rioja Wine Tourism Monitor 2022" figures published by the Consejo Regulador show an increase of 62.64 per cent compared to 2021, they are still 12.8 per cent below pre-pandemic levels. The average spend per visitor at a winery is €36.53, exceeding pre-pandemic spending by 5.40 per cent. The report also shows that wine tourism in Rioja is recovering faster than the general Spanish tourism sector, whose international demand in 2022 was 14 per cent lower than in 2019.
With more than 66,000 hectares, DOCa Rioja is made up of three areas with different viticultural characteristics - Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental - spread across 144 municipalities with 600 wineries and more than 14,000 winemakers. Wines from the DOCa Rioja account for around 40 per cent of the value of Spanish wines with designation of origin and are exported to 129 countries.
(ru / source: press release)