Bordeaux Métropole Tourist and Convention Office

Title - Name

Bordeaux Métropole Tourist and Convention Office

Scope / Sector / Industry

wine tourism

Country / Region

France, Bordeaux

Why is it good practice?

The example of wine tourism management in Bordeaux is a model of best practice, as, whilst it is regarded as the oldest and most famous wine-growing region in the world, great efforts have been made over the years to uphold this reputation, keeping pace with the changes and challenges that arise. The Bordeaux Region, the main ambassador for the region’s wine tradition, promotes this heritage proactively through various actions and initiatives, prioritising the sustainability of the region at environmental, social and economic levels.

How is it applied?

The Bordeaux region is a very popular and tourist-friendly region of France, renowned for its gastronomy and cultural life. Famous for its winemaking tradition, the Bordeaux region is the largest wine-growing area with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Covering 112,000 hectares, Bordeaux is regarded as the largest and oldest wine region in the world, with 7,000 winemakers, 300 wine agencies and an average annual production of 5 million hectolitres. The wine regions of Bordeaux include Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and Fronsac, Médoc, Blaye and Bourg, Graves and Sauternes, Entre-Deux-Mers and Bordeaux itself, the city of which is home to two wine museums. Every year, it welcomes a very large number of visitors for tours, tastings and other wine tourism experiences.

Some of the reasons that have contributed to the continued growth of wine tourism in the region, despite the wine’s reputation mentioned above, are:

• The ongoing development of wine tourism activities. Many wineries in the region are creating an ever-increasing number of special and personalised wine experiences, making traditional châteaux more accessible to visitors.
• The creation of the “Cité du Vin” wine museum in the city of Bordeaux, an iconic project that opened in 2017 and, in May 2022, welcomed over 2 million visitors. It is the fourth most visited museum outside the centre of Paris and hosts exhibitions, performances, film screenings, academic seminars and more, all focusing on wine-related topics.
• The “LGV Sud Europe Atlantique” high-speed train began full operation in 2017, reducing journey time from Paris to Bordeaux. Today, more than 30 trains a day run between the two cities, covering the distance in two hours.
• Bordeaux’s air network serves approximately 109 direct destinations. In 2018, the city welcomed 6.8 million travellers.
• Its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List has boosted the region’s popularity.
• The ongoing support and promotion of wine tourism by the Bordeaux Region, through projects, activities and initiatives that meet today’s needs and requirements.

The promotion of Bordeaux’s winemaking tradition and culture is undertaken by the region of the same name, specifically through the establishment of the Bordeaux Métropole Tourist and Convention Office 25 years ago. Its aim is to promote the city and its surrounding areas as a destination for conferences, seminars, trade fairs and incentive events, and it currently acts as a liaison between local business tourism professionals and event organisers, venues and other service providers.

On the Office’s official website, visitors will find a wealth of information on wine tourism in the region, such as wineries, wine cellars and wine bars open to the public. There, they can choose from and book a variety of tourist packages, such as tours and wine tastings (often accompanied by local cheeses, chocolate, caviar or other local produce), alternative tours of vineyards and parts of Bordeaux (cities, villages and UNESCO sites) by scooter, vintage cars, electric bicycles, Segways, walks, wine-tasting workshops, meals, picnics in the countryside, activities for children, wine cruises, wellness treatments using essential oils derived from grapes, vines and grape must, an overnight stay in a wine barrel, etc.

As part of its efforts to promote wine tourism, the Tourist Office also promotes four wine routes. Three of these are cycle routes through the urban vineyards of Bordeaux, and one is a walking route within the city. A map featuring suggested points of interest is provided for each route.

As tourism trends evolve, the priority of the regional tourism strategy today is to reassess tourism and its environmental impact. As visitors become increasingly aware of environmental issues, the Region is now focusing more on local tourism development and aims to promote Bordeaux as a sustainable and authentic destination, suitable for all types of holiday. Thus, by 2030, its primary objective is to establish a sustainable tourist destination that will prioritise local economic development and environmental protection, for the benefit of both tourists and residents.

For the wine sector, the Region’s strategy up to 2030 emphasises issues of sustainability and innovation. According to the strategy, as the wine industry is currently undergoing numerous changes (e.g. changes in consumption patterns, environmental challenges, increased competition from abroad, etc.), it must adapt and keep pace with these changes so that the sector can continue to be a driving force for growth and employment. Throughout the period 2020–2026, the Region intends to support the wine sector through a series of targeted strategic actions:

• Continue to support the innovation ecosystem in order to attract established companies and start-ups to the region. In particular, it supports the “Inno’Vin” ecosystem – the first of its kind in the wine industry – which helps to tackle the sector’s challenges through innovation, thereby contributing to the development of solutions. It also supports the “Agri Sud-Ouest Innovation” ecosystem, which operates in the agriculture and agri-food sectors, the “Bordeaux Technowest” Technology Park with its “Food and Wine Tech” incubator, and the “Unitec” technology centre with its “Bernard Magrez Start-Up Win” incubator.
• Promotion of responsible and sustainable wine production. Today, the Gironde region is regarded as the largest organic vineyard in France, with 16.8% of it certified for organic cultivation and 75% of wine production classified as “High Environmental Value”. The Region aims to reach 100% by 2030 and, to this end, has committed to the sustainable certification of the sector, based on the six pillars set out below, with the aim of creating a responsible, committed and sustainable wine industry:
  • Reducing environmental impact
  • Reducing the use of pesticides
  • Preserving biodiversity
  • Preserving social cohesion
  • Anticipating the effects of climate change
  • Developing corporate social responsibility
• Organising and supporting cultural events linked to wine. The Region intends to support wine-related events, such as the “Bordeaux Wine Festival”, the Vi-TIC event (held every two years) dedicated to digital and robotic innovation serving the wine industry, as well as the Vinitech-Sifel trade fair (held twice a year and international in scope), dedicated to innovation, which is also aimed at professionals in the wine sector.

In addition, as part of the Region’s overall tourism strategy, the following initiatives are being developed, which are also relevant to wine tourism:

• Development of environmental and sustainable activities. As part of efforts to develop more eco-friendly options for visitors and to mitigate the impacts on the climate and the environment, the Region prioritises the development of walking trails in response to the demands of the tourism sector. This initiative includes the creation of new walking trails, with the aim of establishing a network linking the various routes. Furthermore, an initiative with a positive environmental impact is the effort to foster environmental responsibility within the events sector. Specifically, the Region has published the guide “Organising your positive impact event in Bordeaux”, which is aimed at professionals in the sector and seeks to support them in their efforts to reduce the environmental impact of their events and leave a positive legacy in the region. All of the above stems from the 2022–2026 roadmap “Together, building a recognised responsible tourism destination”, which reflects the Region’s vision for more responsible tourism in the region.
• Improving accessibility. The Region aims to make the Bordeaux region a destination accessible to all. In this context, the “Tourism & Disability” association was established, with the aim of raising awareness amongst tourism professionals regarding services for people with disabilities in tourist and leisure facilities. As a result of this initiative, the certified “Tourism and Handicap” routes have been established, which are accessible to people with mobility or hearing impairments, whilst four map displays have been installed for people with visual impairments. The Tourist Office has also produced a special guide for people with disabilities, which details all the services available to those with reduced mobility. Specifically for the wine tourism sector, the guide highlights all wineries that meet accessibility standards, as well as five wine routes. The guide is regularly updated, taking into account users“ feedback and needs. Furthermore, as part of the organisation of the ”Bordeaux Wine Festival’, measures are taken to ensure it is accessible to all, whilst the local council pays particular attention to adapting the venues where the festival takes place.
• Development of smart tourism. As part of the use of smart applications in the wine tourism sector, the Bordeaux Tourist Office launched the “Tasting Pass” initiative for the “Bordeaux Wine Festival”, namely an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) card that allows participants to enjoy 12 tastings from the 80 different labels available at the stands. This card also includes entry to a tasting workshop.

Where is it applied?

The efforts to promote wine tourism in the Bordeaux region and the initiatives undertaken by the regional authorities directly benefit visitors to the region, particularly wine lovers, whilst indirectly contributing to local prosperity and development.

Results

The Bordeaux Tourist Office has received the following certifications and awards for all the above initiatives:

• “Accueil Vélo”, a national scheme that guarantees a warm welcome and high-quality services for cyclists along cycle routes.
• “ISO 20121” for its sustainable management, including the organisation of the Bordeaux Wine Festival.
• “Tourism and Disability”, a label recognising efforts to improve accessibility.

Furthermore, in 2014, the city of Bordeaux was awarded the “Destination pour tous” label in recognition of its efforts to cater for people with intellectual disabilities or mobility impairments. It was the first city to receive this official certification, and since 2020 the label has applied to the entire urban area.

Finally, in 2022, the city of Bordeaux was named European Capital of Smart Tourism.

Other information

The official website of the Bordeaux Métropole Tourist and Convention Office is: https://www.bordeaux-tourism.co.uk/