The consumer's experience has become a fundamental factor for the acquisition of new customers and for the achievement of an excellent level of product loyalty.
The activities have learned that the production process is an element of strong attraction when the right attention is paid to presentation and aesthetics.
For this reason, many companies operating in the wine, distillation and brewing sectors have focused on the construction of environments aimed at welcoming the public. Experiences have been created to put visitors in direct contact with the production and the history of the product.
Since the plants are the fulcrum, as well as the means, of production itself, it was necessary to transform them into something new. No longer just tools, but real works of art to be shown to customers. It is therefore clear how important it is to give new and greater importance to the aesthetics of the systems in order to connect even more consumers and products.
But let's talk about Numbers
In Italy, according to studies carried out by the National Association of Wine Cities and the University of Salerno, the wine tourism sector currently counts about 14 million wine tourists a year. Considering that each wine tourist spends an average of 85 euros during a daily visit, it is immediately clear how fundamental wine tourism is becoming for the increase in income. It is estimated that it accounts for as much as 26.9 % of turnover.
The situation in Scotland and Ireland is not very different. The annual survey compiled by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) revealed that visits to distilleries have increased by 56 % since 2010. According to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, Scottish whisky distilleries are the third most visited attraction in Scotland, after the National Museum of Scotland and Edinburgh Castle. In Ireland, on the other hand, an association of spirits groups, Drinks Ireland - IBDC, has been set up. Last year the number of visitors increased by 10.5%, from 923,000 in 2018 to 1.02 million.
Beer-tourism has increased sharply, especially in Germany. Here, between 2018 and 2020, more than 23 different routes were created that allow visitors to discover craft beers directly at their brewing locations.
The features needed to create a true work of art
On the basis of the data collected, it is clear how the creation of a meaningful experience can change the client's opinion and drive them to return. The presentation of the production and the plants themselves become a way to tell one's own story, and to show the public one's own production ideas and care for the individual product.
Important introductions are already underway that aim to involve customers in the production process; museums that tell the story of a product, tours and tastings in which the production process is carefully explained, so that tourists-customers can come into close contact with the company's vision.
A significant example is the BrewPubs, places where the plants are put in the foreground. In the UK and USA it is already a widespread practice, but the phenomenon is also developing in other parts of the world.
At the base of production are the plants, which allow the real transformation of material. As a result, the importance of being equipped with plants with a strong aesthetic impact is evident; during visits and tours, the plant must appear to visitors not only as functional and efficient, but also as aesthetically beautiful.
For this reason it is important to carefully choose the right materials and finishes to guarantee a high standard of visual quality. Steel and copper together create a luminous effect and a strong visual impact, transmitting a feeling of wonder to the visitor, which is reflected in the products. The finishes and the correct positioning of the various components within the environment are also a fundamental element to amaze visitors, which is why it is necessary not to leave out any detail of your system.
In the BrewPubs we were talking about, the distillation and brewing plants are put in plain sight because they are able to fascinate the consumer.
This shows how the plant is no longer just dedicated to simple production, but can become a tourist attraction in its own right. The aesthetics of the plant is thus fundamental, as are the materials used for the production.
By combining taste with experience, customers will be transported to a new reality and will be fascinated by the production. The care and attention to the design of the system, will transmit to visitors a feeling of wonder that will help to identify the product as a product of excellence.