A unique fixture on Bordeaux’s skyline, La Cité du Vin marries a modern, high-tech experience with the ancient appreciation of wine.
The foundation’s Xavier Duchemin and Vera Louro discuss creating its global appeal.
La Cité du Vin’s story
When La Cité du Vin opened in Bordeaux in 2016, it had plans to revolutionize the world of wine tourism. In the capital city of a renowned French wine region, this unmissable building rises from the banks of the Garonne River as if it’s wine swirling in a glass. But a love letter to a complex Bordeaux vin rouge this is not — it’s a celebration of every wine, every terroir, and every grape in the world.
“When this project was created, the mayor, Alain Juppé, and the president of our foundation, Sylvie Cazes, sought to create a place that would bring forth the cultural dimension of wine, something the chateaux won’t tell you much about,” explains Vera Louro, Cité du Vin’s booking agent. “Adding this concept to what already existed in Bordeaux made it worldwide.” And that global, ancient history of wine drives La Cité du Vin, just in a 21st-century-friendly form, with cutting-edge installations, interactive exhibits, and an ultramodern design. And tasting, of course.
Eight years after opening, La Cité du Vin has worked hard to have that global appeal globally recognized, working with GetYourGuide to increase its international reach. Here, Vera and head of business development Xavier Duchemin discuss making that happen, La Cité du Vin’s vision, and what to expect when you go.
How did La Cité du Vin begin, and why?
“La Cité du Vin started with a vision to showcase the culture of wine. There was a need for a place to present wine not just as a product but as a part of world heritage. We wanted to complement the existing wine tourism in Bordeaux by offering an in-depth look at wine’s history, geography, and cultural significance from a global perspective.”
Why would someone come to La Cité du Vin instead of going to a chateau? What sets it apart?
“Well, I hope they don’t do that. Visiting a chateau is irreplaceable for understanding the terroir and the winemaking process firsthand. La Cité du Vin offers something different. Here, you get a broad view of wine cultures from around the world. We have 18 modules, or exhibits, each covering a different topic.
It’s always about wine, but, for example, the first encounter is with vineyards. On huge screens, you see how different they can be from the slopes of Mount Fuji to Napa Valley to here, and what that means for the wine.
You learn about its historical significance and production processes in different places, which makes us complementary to chateaux visits. If you can do both, do both because you’re missing out on something if you don’t.”
Why did you partner with GetYourGuide in 2016, and what was the goal?
“As a foundation, we have limited marketing budgets. One of the reasons for partnering with OTAs is that they already have an audience we don’t have the financial means to reach on our own. GetYourGuide could provide the visibility we need to attract a global audience on a huge scale, so the partnership was crucial for our visitor numbers and overall success.”
Have international customer numbers increased?
“Significantly. Those customers tend to plan their trips far ahead, looking at the OTAs to see what they can do there, and GetYourGuide allows us to be visible alongside the chateaux and other attractions. While our local visitors tend to be more spontaneous or buy a ticket on arrival, about half come from outside France, and many book in advance.”
What other insights do you get from GetYourGuide that help you evolve?
“We see GetYourGuide as our first partner where we can try new things, open up our products, see if it works, then we open to some other resellers. We have the trust to do that and a great relationship with the account manager, which has been very positive.”
La Cité du Vin has many modern, high-tech elements for a subject as old as wine. Why take that approach?
“Because it’s not just for wine lovers. There’s sculpture and history, too, and interactive elements that are part of the experience. These dimensions make it fun for anyone, whether you’re a child or a connoisseur.
And some of it helps us, too. We use an interactive audio guide, which enhances the experience for the visitor, but it also allows us to see what people stand on and how long they stay there, so we know the parts people are interested in or that didn’t work too well.
Having data like that really helps us improve, and one of the great advantages of the digital world is the more data we have, the more precise we can be moving on to the next thing. But, while our exhibits are technologically advanced, human interaction remains a key component.”
How do you balance the two things to keep customers happy?
“There are human interactions from the moment you enter and arrive at the desk. We know that having both is part of our strength.
At the Belvedere, for example, our sommeliers offer personal wine tastings, where we really talk about wine cultures and civilizations offline. It’s a warm, engaging experience. About half of the wines are from France and the rest international, allowing visitors to explore that through taste, too.
Our staff creates a warm, welcoming experience, and that is crucial for visitor satisfaction.”
Are reviews important?
“Extremely. There’s no one better to tell us what we are doing well and where we can improve than the people who pay to experience it, whether via questionnaires, conversations, or data analysis."
Are there ever any unusual visitor demands?
“Of course, there are things we cannot do, like a wine from a particular region of Siberia, and we’re not going to get free bottles of Petrus to share with guests, considering its price tag, but most people understand the concept. We’re meeting a huge French VIP in 15 minutes who wants to join an already fully booked experience at very short notice, but we make it happen … Oh, she’s here!”
Go! Make another customer happy.
“Yes, sorry! This is a typical day at La Cité du Vin.”
Key takeaways
- Revenue increased almost 100 percent in 2022. La Cité du Vin has seen consistent success since partnering with GetYourGuide in 2016.
- The foundation uses customer feedback and data to evolve. Around 80 percent of the experience has been updated based on these insights.
- La Cité du Vin leveraged GetYourGuide’s international reach to boost visitor numbers. Around half of guests now come from outside of France.
- The positive relationship between GetYourGuide and the foundation develops trust. The foundation are reactive and confident to try new ideas.
- A balance of forward-thinking tech and human interaction drives La Cité du Vin’s success. The foundation gathers invaluable data from both methods of visitor engagement.
Over time, we’ve updated about 80 percent of our exhibition content based on that to make it more engaging and relevant.
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