The 54th Vinitaly closed with a significant drop in visitors, but still marked a new record. Of a total of 88,000 registered visitors, 25,000 were international buyers - 28% of the total. This was the highest ever share, ahead of the 26.3% at the last event, in 2019. In that year, however, all the numbers were bigger. The fair attracted 125,000 attendees, of whom 33,000 came from outside Italy.
Verionafiere, organisers of the exhibition estimates that about 5,000 visitors were absent from the event. There were no Russians, and hardly anyone was able to travel from China and Japan due to pandemic-related travel restrictions. In total, 129 countries were represented, however.
As in previous years, most international visitors came from the US, closely followed by Germany. Great Britain remained in third place and Canada replaced China in fourth, followed by the French, who were more strongly represented than at previous Vinitaly editions - as were the Swiss, Belgians, Danes and Dutch. Most visitors from Eastern European countries came from the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Romania. Outside Europe, countries such as Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam maintained their position, while India's participation increased. The number of visitors from Australia and New Zealand – never high - halved this year. On the other hands, twice as many Africans attended than in 2019.
The overall mood among the approximately 4,400 exhibitors was good. Thanks to a more evenly distributed and smaller flow of visitors over the four days of the fair, many found the working atmosphere more pleasant. Others, however, noticed little difference from previous editions. The best thing about Vinitaly for producers and visitors was to meet again in the flesh rather than through a screen.
Veronika Crecelius
