Vinexpo releases visitor numbers

Vinexpo, the biannual international wine and spirits exhibition which was held in Bordeaux last month, saw 48,858 visitors from 148 countries, a slight 1.5% increase compared to 2011. While the number of French visitors remained stable between the two years, non-French visitors increased by 3% to18,462, representing a 37.8% share of the total.

Asia with its booming markets clearly demonstrated its interest in wine and spirits at this years show. China led with 3,388 professionals and became the exhibition’s largest non-French visitor, up 13.9% compared to 2011. Japan, where wine consumption continues to grow regularly, was also very well represented with 427 visitors, up 17.63%. Vinexpo attracted increased numbers of Asian visitors generally: Indian visitors were up 32.7%, Taiwan up 4.5%, Vietnam up 20.4% and Malaysia up 21.1%.

The US, the world’s leading wine-consuming nation both in volume and value, was Vinexpo’s second largest international visitor with 1,433 professionals. Canadian visitors were on the increase with 731 professionals, up 11.9% compared to 2011. Despite the established concentration of American and Canadian distribution networks, more than one foreign visitor out of 10 came from North America.

The fourth, fifth and sixth largest visitor countries at Vinexpo 2013 were UK with 1,418, Belgium with 1,132 and Germany with 1,073 professionals respectively.

Amongst the nations, whose professional representation showed significant growth, Russia also featured with 9.8% more visitors than in 2011.

Europe’s import destinations were well represented. After UK, Belgium and Germany came the Netherlands and Switzerland with 827 and 552 professionals respectively followed by Finland, up 11.9%, Austria, up 55.7%, Denmark, up 32% and Norway, up 12.9%.

The major European producing nations, Spain and Italy, were also well represented by buyers, especially from hyper- and supermarket chains.

Visitors from France accounted for 62.2% of the total and represented all sectors of the industry: wholesalers, hyper- and supermarket buyers, restaurateurs, sommeliers and specialist retailers.

"These statistics confirm our forecasts with regard to world markets," pointed out the chief executive of Vinexpo, Robert Beynat. "Between 2012 and 2016, wine consumption will grow by 145 million 9-litre cases worldwide, an increase of 5.31%. Three markets in particular will drive this growth: the US with an extra 40.5 million cases."

3 July 2013 - Felicity Murray