Unlocking SA’s wine tourism potential

Source: Tourism Update, 16/04/2018

Tourism in the Western Cape could further unlock its earning
potential with information supplied by big data that analyses
computationally, to reveal patterns, trends and associations.
Wine tourists in the Western Cape are increasingly opting for guided
tours with a growing preference for tailor-made itineraries to suit
their specific interests, says Margi Biggs, Convener of the annual
Business of Wine and Food Tourism, set to take place on October 17 at
Spier in Stellenbosch.
Sourcing her information from Wesgro’s recent Wine & Food Tourism
Study, Biggs believes that greater insights into travellers’ needs
will unlock further growth in this fast-expanding sector of South
Africa’s travel industry.
“Wesgro research shows a year-on-year growth in wine tourism of 16%
in 2017, thanks to the rising reputation of the Western Cape’s wines,
the region’s increasingly innovative offerings, as well as its varied
and exciting customised cellar door experiences.
“But as an industry, we’ve only tapped the surface. There is still
so much more potential to be unleashed, particularly now that we have
access to big data and the deep learning its analysis can bring. With
more nuanced understanding of consumer preferences, their spending
and other behavioural patterns, it becomes easier to address their
needs and to do so in a way that is far more customised. I think we
can expect the advent of big data to have a dramatic impact on our
industry,” comments Biggs.
With this in mind, Biggs recently secured US-based big data Wine
Specialist, Cathy Huyghe, as this year’s headline speaker for the
Business of Wine and Food Tourism conference, making it Huyghe’s
first visit to South Africa. Huyghe is also a Wine Columnist for
Forbes and has written for the Harvard Business Review, is Co-Founder
of Enolytics LLC, consults globally on big data to wine companies and
is a Digital Media Specialist, having authored various wine books.
Other speakers at this year’s conference include Marisah Nieuwoudt,
Wine Tourism Manager for VinPro, which represents 3 500 of SA’s wine
producers, cellars and industry stakeholders; Brittany Hawkins, CEO
of Explore Sideways, which focuses on immersive food, wine and
cultural experiences for tourists in the Western Cape; and Spicer de
Villiers, Owners of A Single Thread, a boutique communications agency
that is active in the local wine industry.
The conference will also cover such topics as sustainability, food
and dining trends, as well as innovative product development.
Trainees and professionals working in the Cape’s wine, food and
tourism industries are urged to register their attendance for the
conference. Early-bird registration is already open, and ends on June
30. An increased fee per delegate will apply thereafter.