A new era for Champagne tourism

Champagne is now embracing a new identity: that of a world-class, welcoming wine destination. As cellar doors open and luxury experiences unfold, both historic Maisons and passionate growers are redefining the region for modern wine lovers. The post A new era for Champagne tourism appeared first on The Drinks Business.

Apr 16, 2025 - 10:27

Champagne is now embracing a new identity: that of a world-class, welcoming wine destination. As cellar doors open and luxury experiences unfold, both historic Maisons and passionate growers are redefining the region for modern wine lovers. As an oeno-destination, the Champagne region holds a compelling position with its location just 45 minutes from Paris and, of course, the lure of the finest bubbles of all. But where, once, the edifice of Champagne’s finest Maisons stood imposingly behind firmly shut gates, many are beginning to open. Opportunities to engage ‘direct to consumer’ are beginning to emerge as a new way for modern-minded Champagne producers to diversify their income sources but also stimulate future champagne sales, which have been disappointing – and concerning - for two years. New enthusiasm for wine-loving tourists is now propelling unprecedented levels of investment in developing experiences and hospitality right across the appellation’s 34,000 hectares.

Champagne comes of age as a wine destination

Taittinger, Bollinger, Thiénot and Perrier-Jouët are just some of the big names with deep pockets fuelling the region’s future visitor attractions. But so too are smaller producers, even growers, who have some big plans of their own. In 2020, Taittinger was head of the pack. It reconsidered its customer experience and commenced major refurbishments in 2023, only to re-open in mid-2024 with a suite of bespoke experiences highlighting the specificities of the brand around culture, the arts, and gastronomy – even collaborating with aligned artists. The cherry on the cake will be a new restaurant,t ‘Polychrome’, a passion project by President Vitalie Taittinger, to be opened in 2025, where the focus will be on demonstrating Champagne’s importance as a blend in culinary pairings. In its first few months since opening, the renovations had already paid off. “The issues linked to the economy of wine tourism are important (to Champagne) both for increasing the number of visitors and for stimulating sales,” says Taittinger’s Head of Hospitality, Audrey Malacain. Bollinger is taking things a step further, last year announcing construction of a 20-room hotel and a new hospitality centre to coincide with their Bicentenary year in 2029. The Maison anticipates more than 20,000 visitors a year once completed, quite extraordinary given they have never been open to the public. Thiénot is another that hopes to attract wine enthusiasts and raise its international profile in 2025 when it opens a five-star hotel, a rooftop bar and a kilometre-long cellar in the centre of Reims.

Future growth is happening now

Private investments from producers and entrepreneurs come at a time when the region is struggling to meet the infrastructure and hospitality expectations of foreigners who see Champagne as a top ‘French detour destination’ from Paris by travel agencies, as reported by Expedia. It’s likely to become even more in 2025 as the region prepares to celebrate 10 years of UNESCO World Heritage status. “The main challenge for Reims is to have enough hotels to accommodate the increase in visitors whilst not being a mass tourist destination,” says Elisa Bremont, who represents the Reims Tourism Office. In 2023, 7.5 million people visited Reims, a number they expect will grow with each year. “For the moment, we are not threatened by this because we have new hotels about to open.” In 2026, Reims, in particular, is expecting another surge in visitors when major renovation work on the Palais du Tau and Musée des Beaux-Arts is complete, which will also be supported by upgrades to roads and ‘greener’ options for public transport.

Redesigning Champagne for world-class hospitality

The opening of quality boutique and larger hotels in recent years has elevated Champagne’s appeal as a world-class destination for savvy travellers. The region’s most elite hotel, the illustrious Royal Champagne Hotel and Spa, is located 20 minutes from the Reims capital. It opened its doors six years ago and signalled a bellwether for tourism with high-end and exclusive options never previously seen in Champagne. In 2023 and 2024, they secured around 90 per cent occupancy in peak months like June, July and September and credited Champagne’s UNESCO status and Maisons that are ‘slowly opening their doors’, as the main attraction for guests. “We are now seeing a market for repeat visitors,” says Jennifer Delord, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Royal Champagne Hotel and Spa. “The Olympic Games in Paris gave us the opportunity to promote not only the capital but its surroundings. We expect a larger number of tourists for the next season.” The Hotel became a leader in developing a program of exclusive experiences to overcome some of the challenges for guests wishing to access producers. Initiatives such as harvest lunches with the winemaking team of Leclerc Briant, cépage discoveries, as well as ‘Mystères de Champagne’ with Chef Sommelier Philippe have been popular drawcards for repeat visitors.

‘Wild Champagne’ and terroir experiences – the new luxury luring visitors

Even beyond the wider Marne department, where most producers are located, there are exciting plans for major investment. In the Côte des Bar, located some 125 kilometres south of Reims and closer to Burgundy, developers plan to make it a destination in itself. Domaine Alexandre Bonnet, which falls under the powerful Lanson-BCC Group, is rolling out its agenda to attract people to the area’s three AOCs as a regional leader of the blanc de noirs style. Alexandre Bonnet’s President, Arnaud Fabre, admits that Les Riceys is a far cry from the gilded mansions on the Avenue de Champagne, but says that what they offer is an alternative idea of luxury which is underscored by space, silence and unspoilt nature - something he terms as ‘wild Champagne’. “It is crucial for visitors to understand the significance of Les Riceys in the region's wine history and its role as a prominent landmark in Champagne,” says Arnaud about attracting a global audience. The Maison installed some ‘tiny houses’ to test the waters for hospitality before launching plans to renovate an 18th-century family house adjacent to their production facilities. The site will provide a world-class option for visitors looking for a ‘nice place to stay in the Côte des Bar’, according to Arnaud, featuring a spa and wellness centre and a restaurant showcasing local ingredients and recipes designed to evoke the essence of the destination. Growers, too, are tapping into flourishing consumer interest in Champagne’s terroir, or site-specific Champagnes, by developing their own oenotourism programs. Meunier artisan producer Cédric Moussé, located in Cuisles, southwest of Reims, became one of the first growers to capture wine tourists with a gastronomic angle. In 2023, he developed a BBQ-style experience to demonstrate the diversity of Meunier wines. “Demand for this is growing from one day to several days a week,” a spokesperson for Cédric says. “We have plans to develop the program in 2025 with additional resources and new experiences. We’ll now have one person dedicated to a quality wine tourism experience.” Another top grower-producer, Pierre Paillard, is located on the south-facing slopes of Bouzy in the Montagne de Reims. Last year, the domaine’s co-owners and brothers, Antoine and Quentin Paillard, launched an immersive experience, opening the domaine to wine lovers curious about grand cru pinot terroir. Visitors can self-drive an electric Citroën Méhari and explore the vineyards, enjoy an intimate tasting or trade-up to a ‘chef’s table’ four-course menu with pairings. “It has surpassed our expectations,” says Antoine Paillard about the initiative. “Visitors are seeking authentic experiences; they want to taste great wines with a real sense of the terroir behind them. We offer them the unique opportunity to explore a small winery that is typically closed to the public.”

From the old world, Champagne enters a brave new world

At a time when Champagne sales are on the decline and higher-end Champagne availability remains relatively limited, the region’s oenotourism initiatives are the silver lining which have the ability to be particularly transformative for its future. Direct-to-consumer engagement is finally being recognised as the mainstay for producers in creating longer-term customer loyalty through brand awareness and education, all the while carving out an additional income stream. With relative ease of travel from Paris and a new-found enthusiasm for tourism, Champagne is one of the most exciting and accessible wine regions to visit in 2025 and beyond.