Tap into Tourism
After enduring significant setbacks during Covid-19, the travel industry is now experiencing a robust resurgence. Recent research from the World Travel and Tourism Council reveals that in 2023, the tourism sector contributed 9.1% to the global GDP, marking a 23.2% increase from 2022. This figure still remains 4.1% below pre-pandemic levels — largely due to countries like Japan reopening fully to tourists only recently — but the sector’s continued growth is nevertheless anticipated in the years ahead.
Gastronomic experiences are top of mind for many tourists who contribute to this important driver of the global economy. Research by California-based travel firm Virtuoso claims that there has been a 70% year-on-year increase in travelers booking trips with a focus on gastronomy in 2024. The trend is leading to a rise in visits to regions with rich distilling heritage or a vibrant craft spirits scene. For example, in 2022 alone, more than two million tourist visits to distilleries in Texas generated over $831.7 million in economic activity, supported 7,700 jobs, and contributed substantial tax revenue. Across the pond in Scotland, over two million people visited whisky makers or visitor centers in 2022, with overall spending around $110 million — a remarkable 90% increase since 2010, showing that spirits tourism has now entered the mainstream.
Major corporations have swiftly capitalized on the opportunity presented by this burgeoning market. In 2021, drinks giant Diageo launched an expansive eight-floor, 71,500 sqft Johnnie Walker experience in Edinburgh as part of its $237 million investment in whisky tourism. The attraction welcomed nearly 360,000 visitors last year, solidifying its position as one of Edinburgh’s most popular destinations.
It’s not surprising that alcohol manufacturers are embracing this trend, as it can result in significant and multiple returns on investment. First, it provides an additional revenue stream for distilleries in the form of tours, tastings, experiences, and merchandise sales, as well as direct-to-consumer sales from the distillery’s shops (which often yield higher margins than business-to-business transactions). Moreover, tourism helps cultivate deeper connections with drinkers, enhancing the likelihood of long-term brand loyalty, which ultimately contributes to their future success. Furthermore, with people often sharing their experiences both in person and on social media, distillery visits effectively transform visitors into a potent and cost-free PR tool for the brand.
While some of the most remarkable spirits tourism initiatives are linked to large firms with sizable marketing budgets, the craft sector can harness the potential of spirits tourism, too. Offering simple guided tours and bottle purchasing opportunities is a foundational first step for entering the spirits tourism market, and there are numerous additional strategies that distilleries can adopt to enhance their offerings.
Work As a Community
Independent craft distillers may not boast the same extensive marketing budgets as larger firms, but their often more agile business setup can facilitate networking with other businesses and potential partners in the surrounding region to collaborate toward the common goal of attracting visitors.
Brad Irwin, owner of Oregon Spirit Distillers, a family-run craft distillery in Bend, Oregon, actively works to uplift the state’s distillery community as a whole. “We have hosted the Oregon Whiskey Festival for the past three years, which is dedicated to our state’s whiskeys, with great success,” says Hannah Gill, who handles PR for the distillery. “This year, we will be hosting the first annual Oregon Gin Festival.” Beyond hosting events, Oregon Spirit Distillers’ strategy of promoting its own business by championing the entire regional craft distilling community includes teaming up with local tour operators and the local tourism board, Visit Bend.
The distillery not only participates in Visit Bend’s booze-focused tourist trail, it also ensures it is prominently featured in its recommendations to tourists by holding regular meetings with the organization, hosting happy hours, and extending invitations to Visit Bend representatives for all the major events at the distillery.
“We tag them on social media in events we feel are relevant for out-of-town folks, and they share it across their channels, which have a much larger reach across the country,” says Gill. “This is super helpful in boosting these events to a broader audience without relying on ads.”
Oregon Spirit Distillers also collaborates with Visit Bend on their influencer program for social media initiatives.
The whiskey maker provides merchandise and giveaways for invitees of the promotional body, which in exchange often takes influencers over to the distillery, helping them reach a wider audience. “We… have hosted several influencers through this setup,” says Gill. Finally, the distillery also provides Visit Bend with complimentary whiskey tasting flights or cocktail cards to offer tourists who stop by their office. “For rainy days they love having ideas for visitors, and they frequently share those cards,” she explains. “Customers then get to come in and see the distillery, enjoy a free drink, and bring bottles home or shop for our spirits in their home markets… I certainly encourage any distilleries looking to broaden their outreach work with their local tourism organizations.”
Distillery Museums
Collaboration among peers can bring substantial benefits, but it is not always feasible. It can be particularly challenging for producers in remote areas, like Mexico’s Corralejo Distillery. Located in Pénjamo, Guanajuato, Corralejo’s production site and visitor center are housed in the hacienda where Miguel Hidalgo, the father of Mexican independence, was born. It is nearly a two-hour-drive from the state capital, León, and there are few, if any, other distilleries in the vicinity.
To draw visitors to its remote rural setting, Corralejo founder Don Leonardo Rodriguez Moreno transformed the site into a must-visit tourist destination by creating an immersive visitor experience that appeals not only to tequila and spirits enthusiasts but to anyone interested in exploring the rich history of Guanajuato state and Mexico as a whole. In addition to conventional tours of the distillery and its impressive barrel rooms, visitors at Corralejo can enjoy a variety of historical experiences. These include visiting the former home of Miguel Hidalgo, a museum dedicated to the history of tequila making, a glass workshop, and even an extensive — if rather eclectic — collection of antiques and bottles of booze from around the world. All is accessible free of charge, with anyone from families to school groups welcomed every day of the year for guided tours.
The distillery has strategically designed opportunities to maximize sales. During weekends, people can visit two cocktail bars and purchase reasonably priced tutored tastings (approximately US$15). Several well-stocked shops are also available selling a wide array of products including Corralejo’s extensive range of tequilas, rums, whiskey, and liqueurs, along with coffee, sweets, and the brand’s own chocolate and merchandise. Adjacent to the glass factory, tequila lovers have the opportunity to gift themselves beautifully crafted glass cups and bottles.
Museum-ifying a distillery can also be particularly advantageous for producers situated in lesser-known regions or smaller countries. Due to relatively little competition, this strategy can easily elevate them into a top tourist destination. St. Nicholas Abbey has remarkably positioned itself as the most visited distillery on the small Caribbean island of Barbados and one of its top attractions overall, despite being the smallest and perhaps least known producer in the country.
St. Nicholas Abbey’s achievement is largely attributed to its strong emphasis on delivering an extraordinarily rich historical and cultural experience to visitors. The distillery is housed on a large 17th-century estate, where guests can explore the old Jacobine mansion, a museum, an herb garden, and old mills before touring the small production site itself. Afterward, people can spend their dollars at the gift shop and enjoy a bite and a cocktail at the distillery’s café. In 2018, owner Larry Warren enriched the estate with a heritage railway, which alone is a good enough reason to make the trek up to St. Nicholas Abbey. The feature involves a fun, family-friendly steam locomotive that takes travelers on a delightful tour through mahogany woodlands, culminating at an elevated point with breathtaking views of Barbados’ rugged east coast.
Reminiscences of the Past
Museums are undoubtedly effective at drawing visitors, but distilleries can also harness the allure of history through alternative, innovative, and unconventional formats.
Journeyman Distillery is a family-owned operation whose two production sites — one in Three Oaks, Michigan, and one in Valparaiso, Indiana — are housed in renovated historical buildings. The Three Oaks location is a former corset and buggy whip factory from the 1800s, while the second site has served various purposes over the years, including a pin company and a buttermilk and soap factory. The distillery has created a unique and compelling destination for tourists by incorporating elements that reflect the sites’ former uses. Furthermore, the Valparaiso location was renovated under a historic tax credit and is officially listed on the National Park Service (NPS) registry as a historic building.
“We initially came with the mindset that even if patrons didn’t care for our spirits, maybe they would come to see the incredible old reclaimed factory building,” says owner Bill Welter. “At both locations, we wanted to have the building be one of the main characters in the story of Journeyman.… [so] with both factory renovations, the intent was to keep as much of the original building the same as we found it.” To further strengthen its connection to the history of its buildings and preserve their historical essence, Welter includes nods to the sites’ past uses in the names of some of his whiskeys, such as Corsets, Whips, and Whiskey. This storytelling strategy costs nothing to the distiller but goes a long way to enrich the brand’s narrative.
A Good Hospitality Proposition
In addition to collaborations and exhibitions, a distillery’s appeal as a tourist destination hinges on its compelling offer of hospitality services. Welter enhances visitor convenience by providing onsite self-catering accommodations and a variety of event spaces for hire. At the Three Oaks location, guests can enjoy their drinks while playing on an 18-hole putting green. The distilleries also feature restaurants that showcase regional ingredients and cuisine, adding exceptional food to an already extensive touristic offer.
Elevating hospitality can further be achieved through a robust calendar of events, unique tour packages, and engaging hands-on experiences. Ramsbury, a single estate brewery and distillery in the English county of Wiltshire, optimizes its 19,000-acre estate by hosting a variety of events that draw in a crowd of locals and visitors from surrounding regions. The calendar regularly features beer and cocktails festivals, fundraising runs, music concerts, and seasonal markets, cementing the producer’s appeal as a vibrant and dynamic destination.
“We have recently added camping sites for visitors and introduced a new tasting room that offers a variety of experiential packages, including ‘meet the distiller’ and ‘make your own gin’ sessions as a complement to standard distillery tours and tastings,” says Ramsbury General Manager Nick Forham. “Next, we will also open a café. We want this to become an experience destination.”
Forham emphasizes the pivotal role of meticulous attention to detail to ensure that every visitor leaves thoroughly satisfied and eager to enthusiastically recommend the distillery as a must-visit to others. For those opting for a simple tour and tasting, for instance, Ramsbury gives designated drivers the option to take home samples for later enjoyment, a thoughtful touch that shows people how the producer is inclusively catering to all guests’ needs. At its gin-making school, participants not only get to play the role of distiller by selecting their own botanicals to flavor and re-distill their personalized 70 cl bottle, they also have the opportunity to name their creation and customize the label. This unique memento then becomes a conversation piece. It increases the chances that people will share their memorable experience with friends and family, thereby spreading the brand’s name and creating more opportunities for potential future visitors.
As travelers increasingly seek authentic and enriching distillery experiences, prioritizing visitor engagement and satisfaction can support spirits makers in navigating the current challenging economic landscape. By transforming historical sites into immersive destinations, offering unique tours and hands-on activities, and fostering collaboration with their peers, distilleries can attract an enthusiastic audience eager to explore the heritage and craft of spirits production. This approach not only generates additional revenue streams, it indirectly benefits them by significantly boosting their profiles, too.
