2025 GWTO Enotourism Conference Kicks Off in Yantai on July 3!

On June 27, 2025, the Information Office of Yantai Municipal People’s Government held a press conference. Qin Liyan, Deputy Director of Yantai Municipal Bureau of Commerce; Jiang Yingsong, Director of Yantai Grape and Wine Industry Development Service Center; Yang Xueping, Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs Office of Yantai Municipal People’s Government; and Wu Qiang, Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of Penglai District Bureau of Industry and Information Technology and Director of Penglai District Grape and Wine Industry Development Service Center, attended the conference to introduce the overall situation of the 2025 GWTO Enotourism Conference and answer questions from reporters.

 

I. The Conference Kicks Off at 9:00 a.m. on July 3

The 2025 GWTO Enotourism Conference is the second annual regular meeting organized by the Global Wine Tourism Organization (GWTO) and a key outcome of the 2023 Yantai wine industry delegation’s visit to Europe to strengthen its wine industry supply chain. Co-hosted by GWTO and Yantai Municipal People’s Government, the conference will be held at Penglai Orle International Resort from July 2 to 5, 2025, with its opening ceremony at 9:00 a.m. on July 3, 2025.

With the shared initiative of “Inspiring Together a Responsible Enotourism,” the conference highlights the theme “Yantai – Global Wine Tourism Destination: Let the World See”. Through various forms such as achievement showcases, experience sharing, case promotion, and exchanges with internationally renowned wine-producing regions, it takes wine tourism as a starting point to innovatively promote the integrated development of the global wine industry. The conference not only provides a platform for dialogue and exchanges in the global wine industry but also further deepens Yantai’s communication and collaboration with major global wine-producing regions in wine, tourism, and cuisine, better showcasing Yantai’s unique charm as a global wine tourism destination and the only International Grape and Wine City in Asia.

II. Main Arrangements of the Conference

As the first international conference in the wine industry hosted by Yantai, this conference is not only an important platform to promote the integrated development of global wine and cultural tourism, but also serves as a new starting point for the globalization of Yantai’s wine industry, holding profound historical significance for the development of China’s wine industry. The conference includes core contents such as the GWTO Council Meeting, industry-themed seminars, B2B business negotiations, and exchanges between wineries and wine enterprises. It also features carefully planned special activities, including the 2025 International Wine Culture Exchange and Cooperation Activity, Qiushan Wine Discussion Conference, sharing of successful cases of global wine tourism destinations, and interpretation of the International Certificate as a Responsible Enotourism Destination. Additionally, the Xinhua · China (Yantai) Wine Industry Development Index will be released, building a platform for exchanges and cooperation among domestic and foreign wine tourism professionals to jointly create a bright future for the high-quality development of the global wine tourism industry. 

III. Features and Highlights of the Conference

A gathering of Chinese and foreign guests to advocate industrial development. The conference has invited representatives from leaders of international authoritative wine organizations, diplomatic envoys of relevant countries in China, renowned industry experts and scholars, international famous wineries and wine enterprises, and tourism operators. ??Distinguished guests from over 20 countries and regions mark unprecedented international participation in China’s wine industry. The President of GWTO will lead a delegation to attend, along with representatives from major wine institutions of Spain, Russia, Argentina, Uruguay, etc. Representatives from the China Alcoholic Drinks Association, the China Wine Circulation Association, and industry institutions from major domestic wine-producing regions such as Ningxia, Xinjiang, and Gansu will also attend the conference.

Focusing on cutting-edge trends to empower industrial upgrading. Centering on the in-depth integration of “wine + cultural tourism,” the conference will invite representatives from government departments, experts and scholars, business associations, and leading food enterprises. Through keynote reports and case sharing, participants will exchange expert insights, share practical achievements, and discuss cutting-edge technologies and solutions in the wine and cultural tourism industries on topics such as branding wine tourism destinations, enhancing international tourism elements, and fostering collaborative innovation across the industry chain. These diverse and splendid activities, integrating perspectives from government, industry, academia, and research, will drive the sustainable development of the global wine tourism industry.

Precise cross-border matchmaking to build a collaborative network. To stimulate the vitality of main players in the wine cultural tourism industry and strengthen precise matchmaking between wineries, wine enterprises, and tourism operators, the conference will host B2B business negotiation activities and organize Yantai’s wineries and wine enterprises to engage in “face-to-face” cross-border negotiations with participating foreign enterprises, building an information exchange and cooperation platform. This initiative will help Yantai’s wine and tourism industries integrate international resources, accurately connect with international markets, enable Yantai’s wine to deeply integrate into the global network, and showcase the unique charm of “Made in China” and “High-Quality Products in Yantai” from multiple perspectives. 

Photography by Fan Zukang