Wine tourism is of increasing importance to the country the South African Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, explained in a recent talk reported in Business Live.
He estimated that wine tourism accounts for around 4.3 billion rand (417 million euro) of South Africa’s tourism revenues.
“Wine and gourmet tourism, which includes the enjoyment of food and wines, can also play a role in terms of our goal of increasing the geographic spread of tourism in SA, as it provides additional options for tourists.” said the minister, who also pointed out that it is contribution to regional and rural economic growth and job creation.
According to Business Live, Van Schalkwyk defined wine tourism as visits by tourists and travellers to wineries, vineyards and wine regions “to experience the unique qualities of the regional (and national) lifestyle associated with the enjoyment of wine at its source”.
Read the full report from the workshop at Stellenbosch’s Spier Estate on Business Live.
