Château Vartely Winery, a top wine tourism attraction, part of the Wine Tourism Route "The Wine Route of Moldova", has been named winner in the category "Most Original Wine Tourism Practice" in the international competition organised by ITER VITIS and the Phoenician Route, part of the Council of Europe Cultural Routes. The competition took place on 23 October at Palazzo Pannitteri in Sambuca di Sicilia, Italy, and was attended by the representative of Château Vartely winery. The National Association of Inbound and Domestic Tourism of Moldova (ANTRIM) submitted the dossier of Chateau Vartely's new tourism product as one of the most innovative and creative tourism experience practices in the competition, representing the "Moldova Wine Route", the first tourist itinerary accredited as part of the European Cultural Routes by the Council of Europe, within the European Cultural Route "Iter Vitis - Les Chemins de la Vigne".
The competition and award aims to support and recognise projects and innovation in the field of cultural and wine heritage valorisation, while promoting the development of responsible, creative, experiential and sustainable forms of tourism in Europe.
"We are proud of Château Vartely, one of Moldova's most preeminent wine destinations and a dynamic member of our association. Innovation and creativity in promoting local tourism products and experiences enhance the attractiveness and diversity of the incoming tourism offer and create new opportunities to promote our country locally and internationally. The award for the most creative tourism experience denotes international recognition of the experience of creating the Chateau Vartely projection and is a success for ANTRIM, which has been working with the wine industry to develop tourism potential for 10 years" said Natalia Țurcanu, Executive Director, National Association of Inbound and Domestic Tourism of Moldova (ANTRIM).
The award for "Most original practice in wine tourism" was given for the light projection that takes place in the wine maturing room on the barrels in the cellar of the winery that tells the story of the creation of wine through a light show. The unique light show tells the story of local spirits and the winemaking talent of Moldovans that make Moldovan wines legendary. The show is projected throughout the cellar and its viewers, offering a unique experience of being part of the legend.
"Our winery and our wines have always been based on creative and innovative ideas in winemaking, wine tourism and wine marketing. The Immersive Creative Design, developed with young artists Oxana Capatina (design) and Karen Grigorean (projection design) at the Centre of Excellence of Creative Industries in Moldova - Artcor, is a unique augmented reality projection that enhances the tourism experiences at Chateau Vartely. We are grateful to the Iter Vitis Federation and ANTRIM for the opportunity to participate in a competition of this caliber, which successfully rewards the work of those involved in this project," said Valeriu Mihaluță, General Manager, Château Vartely.
New generations of tourists, namely millennials and Generation Z tourists, are looking for cutting-edge technologies and experiences while deciding to visit future destinations.
"We intended to combine the latest innovations and technologies with the legends and traditions of Moldovan wine, which can be discovered through video projection in our winery. It adds value to the wine tour we provide and captures visitors' emotions in a distinct experience, accessible to travelers visiting our winery of all ages. Also, to be closer to our guests and customers, in 2020 Château Vartely opened a wine bar in the central area of the capital," said Oleg Casian, Tourism Manager, Château Vartely.
The convergence of Moldova's creative industries with the wine and tourism industries is inspiring local businesses to seek innovation in creating and promoting their products, increasing the competitiveness of the Moldovan economy.
"We are delighted to have had the opportunity to contribute to this exclusive creative product, launched as part of a partnership between a leading wine tourism business and the start-up of emerging Moldovan talent within ArtCor - the centre of excellence of Moldova's creative industries. This is an example of success that we would like to inspire for the development of new projects", Vasili Braga, Executive Director of the Creative Industries Association (COR).
The Wine Road Route includes 7 unique wine and gastronomic itineraries, 30 visits to wineries, cellars, dozens of cultural-touristic events and numerous cultural, historical and gastronomic experiences and comprises a total of 1,560 km of circuits in the three wine regions with Protected Geographical Indication, being marked with approx. 450 tourist road signs, promoted through marketing materials such as catalogues, brochures and maps, as well as hundreds of appearances in international specialist publications, including Lonely Planet, one of the most prestigious editions in the world. The National Inbound and Domestic Tourism Association of Moldova and the Iter Vitis Federation will continue to develop, strengthen and expand authentic wine experiences and incoming tourism products in Moldova.
The Moldova Wine Road Route and the ArtCor Centre of Excellence were launched and developed with the support of the Moldova Competitiveness Project, funded by USAID, the Government of Sweden and the UK.