From microbreweries to themed routes: incentives for beer tourism on the way

After wine tourism, oil tourism and PDO tourism, comes also beer and brasserie tourism. A number of amendments have been tabled in the parliamentary process of the Coltiva Italia ddl (the agricultural annex to the 2025 Manoeuvre), which establish 'beer tourism' by extending the rules envisaged for wine tourism to the beer sector. In essence, it will be possible to set up 'beer routes' and access tax and administrative simplifications for microbreweries. Not forgetting the refinancing of the fund for strategic supply chains, which includes the beer sector.

The amendments to the agricultural connection should be voted on next Wednesday. "Among the most important amendments," explained Unionbirrai, an association representing Italian craft breweries, "is the introduction of an article entirely dedicated to 'beer tourism', which extends to the beer sector the provisions already envisaged for wine tourism. The regulation defines 'beer tourism' as the set of activities to get to know beer in the places where it is produced, visits to barley and hop cultivations, tasting and marketing of the company's beer in combination with food, as well as educational and recreational initiatives>.

The regulation of 'strade de vino' (wine routes) is also extended to the wine sector, putting the sector on an equal footing with the wine sector in terms of territorial promotion.

Also very important is the framing of microbreweries as an expression of artisanal and territorial production, allowing them to carry out sales and hospitality activities integrated with production and, therefore, without changing the use of the premises.

"For some time now, Unionbirrai has been promoting beer tourism as a strategic lever for the development of territories,' commented the association's managing director Vittorio Ferraris. Craft breweries are not only places of production but cultural presidia and destinations to visit, an integral part of tourist itineraries capable of enhancing local excellence. The extension to beer of the rules envisaged for wine tourism would represent an important recognition for our sector'.