A visit to an oil mill is an experience that is still little practiced among tourists, with ample room for growth also linked to the healthy content of the experience and the inclusion of Evo oil as a beauty and personal care product, from the table to the spa and wellness centers. 
This is what emerges from the first Report on oil tourism, prepared by Roberta Garibaldi (in the picture) university professor and already author of the annual report on food and wine tourism on the initiative of the associations City of Oil e Unaprol-Coldiretti. According to the Report, 15% of Italian tourists have already taken part in a visit to an olive oil company in the last three years, a percentage that rises to 19% in the case of tourists oriented towards food and wine experiences. In particular, only 11% of the 18-24 age group and only 10% of the 25-34 group took part, while among the over 65s the percentage rose to 23%. In the face of this "minority realization", the data in the Report highlights the strong appeal of extra virgin olive oil and its places of production, but also of the oil culture, among tourists.
"These data are striking when compared with the data of interest that we have mapped, which demonstrate a truly very high development potential, with the offer that can be thought of diversifying based on the interests of Italians – explained the author of the Report Roberta Garibaldi. – The main lever that pushes tourists to consider a visit to an oil mill or an olive-growing company is the shopping/tasting experience”. 72% of those interviewed would like to purchase the product at attractive prices (74% among food and wine tourists) and 70% would love to taste the oil and the different types produced in the company combined with local products and foods (72% among tourists enogastro). The responses related to active tourism experiences were also very consistent: 70% would like to see how oil is produced, 64% want to participate in the olive harvest and 65% dream of a candlelit dinner among the olive groves. Furthermore, 57% would like to try wellness centers that offer oil-related treatments and 70% would like to try different types of oil in a restaurant combined with the various dishes tasted during dinner. Finally, the strong connection between oil and Italian historical heritage should be highlighted: 73% of food and wine tourists would like to visit a historic oil mill, 72% would aspire to stay in a historic residence with an olive grove and orciaia inside and 59% would like to be able to visit a national museum dedicated to extra virgin olive oil.
“Oil tourism is a great opportunity to give “value” to the finished extra virgin olive oil product. We must talk about the oil and make people perceive the added value that extra virgin olive oil has, not only as nutraceutical food, but also and above all for the values it interprets and represents: landscape, environment, history, culture, biodiversity" he commented Michele Sonnessa, president of Città dell'Olio, an association with almost 500 member municipalities, mostly under 5.000 inhabitants and in internal areas where the abandonment of olive groves is an unfortunately frequent phenomenon".
“The presentation of the 2023 Report confirms that oil tourism is an important growth tool for companies in the supply chain - he added Nicola Di Noia, director of Unaprol and Sole Administrator of the Evooschool Foundation. - The flows of tourists who are increasingly attentive to environmental sustainability, protection of the landscape, and healthy eating can find experiences that recall these values, linked to quality EVO oil, in olive-growing companies. To seize these opportunities, continues Di Noia, a cultural change is needed. We need to train new professionals in the sector, capable of working on welcoming customers, developing new services and using new technologies. Training is one of the main levers for those who want to approach the development of oil tourism".
