Kakheti hosts inaugural UN wine tourism conference

Georgia exported 38,000 bottles of wine to France last year; 190 percent more than in 2014. Photo by N. Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Agenda.ge, 07 Sep 2016 - 13:34, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgia’s Kakheti wine-making region is today hosting a global conference on wine tourism, involving more than 250 guests from 42 countries.

The conference is organised by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) together with the Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA) and is taking place in different parts of Kakheti during the next two days.

This is the biggest event in our country’s life in terms of cementing Georgia’s image as the world’s cradle of wine”, said Georgia's Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili.

Among the honourable guests attending are Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary General, who is due to meet Georgia’s PM, President and Economy Minister after participating in the conference.

Wine tourism is a growing segment with immense opportunities to diversify demand. In the case of Georgia, the segment’s potential is well-known and we are very pleased to be holding the first UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism in the country,” said Rifai.

A three-day global conference on wine tourism will enable gastronomy and wine-lovers to enjoy the culture and lifestyle experience of Georgia while exploring the wine tourism opportunities the country has to offer.

The conference will have a unique and dynamic format with three sessions held in different wineries across eastern Kakheti region.

The first session will be held in winery Khareba where the guests will taste Khareba’s wine and visit Alaverdy Monastery, which is also famous for its wine cellar.

Meanwhile, the event will continue in Chateau Mukhrani on September 9 where the guests will also see underground spacious wine caves where the wine is matured.