Wine tourism to be boosted in France

06.03.2009
The French government is attempting to boost tourism to the wine regions of the country, encouraging greater collaboration between winemakers and the travel industry.

Experts in the field think France has dropped behind others in its marketing of the wine areas, with Camille Barnier, head of wine tourism at the Burgundy wine association BIVB, saying "we"ve rested a bit on our laurels".

The government hopes the new plans will encourage more tourists to areas like Bordeaux or Burgundy.

So far a lack of coordination between the tourism sector and winemakers has meant the industry has not boomed, with Jeremy Arnaud, marketing director for the Cahors wine trade, saying: "The issue now is proving that this can be a new source of revenue for producers."

The French government hopes the volume of wine sold will increase to 16 million by 2013, from the rate of 13.5 million in 1990-2000.

Burgundy also offers a good break for the family as it has a number of outdoor activities on offer, including hiking, walking, golf and horse riding.

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