The University of Szczecin hosted “Enotourism in Pomerania – A Dream or an Opportunity for Regional Development” symposium. It highlighted the growing popularity of wine tourism events, and the growing number of wineries enhances the attractiveness of our region.
The symposium was organized in response to the publication of a monograph entitled “Enotourism: Spatial, Social, and Economic Aspects,” authored by dr hab. Zbigniew Głąbiński, prof. US, dr Tomasz Duda, and dr Daniel Szostak from the Institute of Spatial Management and Socio-Economic Geography at the University of Szczecin
Enotourism, also known as wine tourism, is attracting increasing interest worldwide, and this trend has also reached Poland, including Pomerania. Currently, there are 735 wineries in Poland, and over 40 in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, including Poland’s largest winery, Turnau. For several years, the region has hosted enotourism events, including the West Pomeranian Wine Festival and the Open Vineyards Weekend, which are enjoying growing popularity among locals and tourists. The growing number of wineries in the region and their increasingly well-equipped guest-hosting capabilities are driving the growing popularity of enotourism.
The collaboration between the monograph’s authors and vineyard owners in West Pomerania and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was one of the driving forces behind the symposium, which served as a meeting point between science and practice. Over 100 people from across Poland and northern Germany participated.
The presentations and discussion led to the conclusion that wine tourism in our region, despite many limitations, is developing dynamically and could become a tourist attraction for the voivodeship in the future. Further collaboration between the Institute of Spatial Management and Socio-Economic Geography and the wine sector, as well as further research projects, are planned.
