The UN Tourism Global Conference on Wine Tourism has underscored wine tourism’s role as a driver of cultural preservation, regional development and jobs, convening more than 300 delegates from 27 countries in Plovdiv on 6–7 October under the theme “The Art of Wine Tourism.”
In a city with millennia of winemaking heritage and a contemporary creative scene, the programme bridged tradition and innovation through high-level panels, masterclasses and immersive site visits.
Opening the forum, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Taste, culture, and place come together in wine tourism. And now, we see innovation and creativity shaping the sector. By bringing together policy makers and industry leaders, we make wine tourism as a driver of economic growth, cultural preservation, and opportunity for all, especially those in winemaking communities.” Bulgaria’s Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh added: “Wine is culture, history, and identity – a living connection between the land and the people. Its combination with tourism gives us the opportunity to tell the story of Bulgaria in a new, modern, and exciting way.”
A high-level policy session featuring representatives from the tourism ministries of Bulgaria, Greece and Montenegro, alongside Türkiye’s TGA and the UNESCO Regional Office in Sofia, called for coordinated approaches to infrastructure, product diversification and marketing to advance sustainable development goals. The Conference also placed people at the centre of growth, highlighting education and training—soft skills, entrepreneurship and language capability—as critical to inclusion, quality and long-term capacity-building.