2nd PDO Tourism Report

The 2nd PDO Tourism Report was produced by the Qualivita Foundation in collaboration with Origin Italia and with the support of MASAF to monitor food and wine tourism activities related to Geographical Indication agri-food products and the work of the protection consortia.

The survey, based on 2025 data, highlights a concrete and widespread strengthening of PDO tourism initiatives across Italy, a result that confirms how the sector has promptly implemented the guidelines of European Regulation 2024/1143, which included the management of tourism activities among the responsibilities of Consortia.

This evolution is also supported by greater knowledge of the phenomenon , by growing public interest and by renewed attention from institutions , the research world and the actors of the PDO PGI system.





The activities registered in 2025 are 667, with an increase of 73 (+12%) compared to 2024.
In particular, the 292 events held – including parties, tastings, cultural festivals and sporting events – recorded a growth of +26% in just one year .

The figure of the 60 first editions by 2025 is also significant, confirming the new planning impetus of the PDO and PGI system, also involving smaller supply chains.
Among these new elements of development, the recognition of Italian cuisine as a UNESCO heritage stands out, in which PDO and PGI are not simple ingredients, but cultural and productive pillars.



At the regional level, growth is evidenced by a higher number of activities compared to 2024 in 16 out of 20 Italian regions.
Veneto, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, and Piedmont remain at the top of the regional PDO Tourism ranking , which integrates over 20 indicators drawn from the PDO Tourism Observatory and official sources.
The decisive factors are confirmed to be the presence of solid production chains , a consolidated tourist attractiveness and, above all, structured and recognized protection consortia capable of playing an active role in territorial governance.

New in this edition of the Report is the first survey dedicated to the point of view of “PDO Tourists” .
The pilot analysis, conducted in the field at selected events, confirms the consistency between the principles of PDO Tourism and visitor perceptions.

In fact, 76% recognize the Consortium's role as guarantor of the authenticity of the PDO and PGI products featured at the event, while the "tastings" are the main motivation that drives visitors to participate in 63% of cases.

The answers relating to the knowledge acquired are also significant:

• 64% report a greater understanding of product features,
• 54% of the production method
• 53% local history and culture.

The sector's changing pace is also clearly evident from the survey dedicated to public and media debate. In 2025, the term "PDO Tourism" was used more than 700 times in print and online, accompanied by the inclusion of a dedicated entry in the Treccani Institute's dictionary, as one of the terms most representative of the changes underway in society.

This momentum has also engaged major industry players, pushing them to launch new initiatives in the broad food and wine tourism sector, such as the international Vinitaly Tourism event.

The section dedicated to scientific studies on PDO and PGI food and wine tourism highlights an increasingly structured dialogue between the research community and the Geographical Indication system. In 2025 , 24 studies were mapped (17 in 2024), addressing key topics such as marketing, territorial development, sustainability, and cultural heritage valorization .

Finally, the institutions ' attention is growing, as evidenced in the Report by the regulatory proliferation recorded in 116 legislative acts at the European, national, and regional levels , a sign of an increasingly structured approach, especially at the regional level. (Source: https://www.qualivita.it/ )