NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- With American demand for wine tourism hitting record highs, the wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum 2026 in New York will unveil new strategies to help Italian wineries capture the high-spending US market. The two-day forum runs from 26–27 October 2026, in conjunction with Vinitaly.USA, and brings together producers, trade professionals, specialist travel agents, tour operators and other key stakeholders to explore how the Italian wine sector can leverage the lucrative American travel market.

Why Wine Tourism Matters to Italy

Wine tourism has become far more than a complement to wine sales. For Italian wineries it is now a structural part of the business, and a driver of local economies, employment and international visibility. Italy's vineyards, historic cellars, rural landscapes and food traditions are central to why visitors come, and wine and food are increasingly what shape those journeys.

The numbers reflect this:

• A major source of revenue- A Nomisma Wine Monitor and UniCredit report presented at Vinitaly 2026 found that wine tourism generated over €3 billion for Italian wineries in 2025, equal to an average of 21% of their turnover.
• Value for local communities- Research by the Italian Association for Food and Wine Tourism (AITE), and Studi e Ricerche per il Mezzogiorno (SRM) estimates that each wine tourism visit generates more than €150 in added value across agriculture, restaurants, retail, culture and crafts.
• A growing global market- The same research values wine tourism worldwide at $46.5 billion, with Europe accounting for more than half of the market.

The American Traveller and Italian Wine

The United States is a key source of wine-minded visitors to Italy. Recent studies suggest that more than half of Americans travelling to Italy now place wine, food or both at the centre of their itinerary. Yet most continue to visit the same regions and wineries, leaving enormous opportunity for producers and territories still outside the usual routes. At wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum, the conversation turns to who shapes those choices, and how Italian producers and regions can get onto the right radars.

Wine Tourism Sessions at wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum 2026

The Future of Wine Tourism in Italy: Who Decides Where American Wine Travellers Go Next?
Monday, 26 October 2026, 10:30–11:15 (local time), wine2wine Brooklyn room, Floor 0, Pier 36, New York
Increasingly, specialist travel agents, wine-focused tour operators and trusted itinerary builders are influencing where wine-interested Americans go, as consumers face choice overload and turn to experts to design memorable wine travel experiences. Susan Kostrzewa, Cristina Mariani, Riley Pearce and Seth Snider will lead a discussion with key voices in the specialist travel space, exploring how itineraries are built, which trends are emerging among American clients, and how Italian producers and regions can get onto the right radars.

From Winery to Itinerary: How the Global Travel Industry Sells Italian Wine Tourism
Tuesday, 27 October 2026, 11:15–12:00 (local time)
A great winery does not automatically translate into a great tourist attraction. To turn interest in Italian wine into an actual trip, a destination must be easily incorporated into an itinerary. Moderated by Sara Magro, the panel will bring together key players from cruise lines, hotel groups, specialized tour operators, and the luxury travel sector to understand how an itinerary is created and what criteria determine the inclusion of a winery or a region. The discussion will analyse the true commercial architecture of wine tourism, with a practical goal: to understand how to make Italian wine destinations easier to incorporate into an itinerary, book, and sell on the international market.

The Future of Wine Tourism in Italy: Destinations, Experiences and Opportunities for the Global Market
Tuesday, 27 October 2026, 12:00–12:45 (local time). Promoted by the Ministry of Tourism with the support of ENIT S.p.A.
The session will feature Hon. Gianluca Caramanna and Ivana Jelinic, CEO of ENIT S.p.A., and will introduce ENIT's Wine Tourism Hub, a new B2B platform showcasing the richness and diversity of Italy's wine tourism experiences, to be unveiled at the conference.

More from the 2026 Program

Alongside wine tourism, the preliminary program covers Italian wine in the American market and the wider Italian wine landscape, including:

• Regional focus-sessions on Sardegna (presented by Regione Sardegna) and on the many faces of Friuli Venezia Giulia (presented with ERSA FVG).
• Market strategy-how America's three-tier system really moves wine, three wine strategies for Texas, growing with Millennials and LDA Gen Z, and planning a US marketing plan for Italian wine with an AI assistant.
• Masterclasses-including sessions powered by Wine Enthusiast, Decanter and International Wine Center, and a masterclass on Italy's age-worthy white wines with Commonwealth Wine School.
• Vinitaly International Academy-the VIA NY Pinning Ceremony on 26 October and the VIA Advanced Tasting Session "Beyond the Basics – Tasting Italy with Sarah Heller MW" on 27 October.
• OperaWine-OperaWine 2027 Revealed: Wine Spectator Presents Italy's Selected Producers, on 26 October.

How to Participate

All sessions are free registration events and are held in English. To reserve a seat in any session, attendees must have an active account on the official Vinitaly.USA App. Those who have not yet completed their trade accreditation can apply at join.vinitalyusa.com to access the App and reserve their wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum sessions. The full program is available on the official website: https://www.vinitaly.com/en/events-calendar/wine2wine/wine2wine-vinitaly-business-forum-2026/ 

Please note that session times and schedule may change. Attendees are encouraged to check the App regularly for real-time updates.

About: wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum is a dynamic international wine industry forum organized by Veronafiere and held annually since 2014, in Verona, Italy, and in the United States in conjunction with Vinitaly.USA. The event is a key reference point for wine producers and wine professionals eager to develop and grow their wine business worldwide. wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum provides unique opportunities to share ideas on the most important issues facing the rapidly evolving wine industry and to connect with wine professionals and experts. The forum features keynote sessions, seminars, and interactive workshops which aim to equip participants with practical tools to improve their business. Speakers are renowned experts in their field and among the brightest minds in the wine world from Italy and abroad. Additional information is available at https://www.vinitaly.com/en/forum/wine2wine-business-forum/ or by emailing media.w2d@ext.veronafiere.it

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