Is the term “beer tourism” on your radar? It should be on yours and it is on ours – see below for information on a workshop we are creating about Beer Tourism.
Beer Tourism is just coming into its own and, like craft beer in general, is booming. Beer Tourism can take a number of forms. In increasing intensity, beer tourism involves:
- Seeking out the local brewpub or brewery when you are traveling for work or vacation
- Actually planning your travels based on the local beer scene, including breweries and festivals
- Taking an organized beer tour of a city you visit
- Taking an actual beer vacation, organized by one of a dozen or so vacation beer tour operators
Beer Tourism is critical for many breweries, which if they are small often make most of their profits selling beer from their tasting room rather than via the three-tier system. It is becoming equally critical as a driver of economic success for the regions known for great beer as well as the hotels, restaurants, and other businesses in those regions that profit from incoming beer tourism visitors.
We at Zephyr Adventures, in addition to running the Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference in North America and Europe, also organize an annual Wine Tourism Conference. This year, we are creating a three-hour workshop on Beer Tourism that will take place from 8:30 – 11:30 AM on Wednesday, November 18 at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia just outside Washington DC. Our speakers include:
- Mariah Calagione from Dogfish Head brewery
- Virginia Brewers Guild Tourism & Marketing Committee Co-Chair Kevin O’Connor from O’Connor Brewing
- Margo Knight Metzger, Executive Director of the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild
- Tommy Miller of Richmond Brewery Tours
The cost is only $125. For an extra $75, you can stay to attend a three-hour workshop in the afternoon on either Digital Marketing for the Beer Industry or Creating and Growing a Food, Wine, and Beer Tour Company. Plus, if you are a Citizen Beer Blogger use the code PRESS for a 50% discount.
For complete information and to register, visit http://winetourismconference.org/workshops/.
