UNESCO status boosts wine trade in Lavaux

Wine producers in Lavaux, the spectacular wine-growing region on Lake Geneva, have been enjoying a boost in trade since the region on UNESCO World Heritage status ten years ago. (RTS/swissinfo.ch) 

Enotourism, that is tourism whose purpose is the tasting and purchase of wine, is big business on the steep terraced vineyards, a 15 kilometre stretch along Lake Geneva covering an area of 840 hectares between Lausanne and Vevey. Parts were built by monks 800 years ago. 

One estate alone received 3000 Asian visitors in 2016. Another wine grower says his shop has increased sales by up to 40% since the region became a UNESCO heritage site. 

40 growers gathered recently in Lavaux to celebrate their successes and present their products. Many said they had to attend courses to learn about enotourism. They have had to adapt to accommodating passing tourists, which requires their constant presence on site. 

A permanent exhibition interpreting the Lavaux landscape will be opened in the spring of 2018.