The vineyards are alive with the sound of music and here are reasons why you should go…
• SulaFest gives local employment to cooks, ground staff, security personnel, printers and others
• Gives business opportunities to local vendors like decorators, security services, medi-care units
• Brings tourists in the city who then use a gamut of local services like transportation, accommodation, food, shopping, etc. that help the overall economy
• Almost 90 per cent of hotels in the city are booked during SulaFest
• About 10,000 visitors come to Nashik during SulaFest
Nashik: Tourists visit places in search of an exciting atmosphere and plenty of things-to-do they can involve themselves in. Thus, a plethora of activities and the cool pleasant Nashik air doused with smell of ripened and crushed grapes, makes SulaFest a big tourism vector for the city.
Tourism
We all know how amazing tourism can be for a city’s growth graph and festivals are big part of attracting these tourists. They offer a host of economic and social benefits to communities. Socially, tourism brings communities together and instills a sense of unity. However, the economic benefits of festivals are easiest to see and most often cited–festivals attract visitors, which stimulates the growth of tourism and other businesses in a region.
Basically, festivals attract visitors who spend money, which boosts the local economy both on and off the festival site. On-site spending includes admission fees, parking fees, food, beverage and souvenir sales—and more. “Attendees at the 2017 SulaFest, for example, spent an average of Rs 2000 at the festival site,” says Monit Dhavale, senior vice-president at Sula Vineyards. But off-site spending related to festivals generates revenue for communities, too. For example, visitors stop at petrol pumps, shops, restaurants and the list goes on.
Overnight visitors provide another source of off-site revenue to towns that host festivals. For example, an average of 10,000 visitors attend SulaFest every year and this helps book almost 80 to 90 per cent of hotel beds in Nashik, adds Dhavale.
Festivals are also great for local businesses that are the receiving end of free marketing and advertising as visitors talk about their fun experiences when they go back home. If visitors post comments and photos about their experiences on Facebook or other social media, so much the better. The economic benefits of successful festivals ripple throughout a local economy–affecting tourism and non-tourism related businesses alike.
Employment generation
In addition to the entertainment value, festival tourism is also great for real estate development, tax revenues and employment generation in any city. Studies are now showing that tourism creates jobs, both through direct employment within the tourism industry and indirectly in sectors such as retail and transportation. When visitors spend their wages on goods and services, it leads to what is known as the “multiplier effect,” creating more jobs. Sulafest held in Nashik creates a significant number of employment opportunities for the people of the town and other nearby areas. Some of the exceptional employment opportunities created by such festivals in cities and small towns involve vendors, art installation, concert staff, patrons, show directors, medical support among others. For these festivals to be successful, a significant number of trainees are needed in all the occasions. The trainees are required for post-festival, pre-festival, and to work during the festival concert. They assist in setting up, vending, catering, information booth staff and other places.
The economic development of a region or society is linked to the increasing revenues and connected increases in savings, investment, and consumption. If such festivals are successful and generate positive revenues, Nashik can experience elevated levels of revenue, higher levels of consumption, improved levels of employment, and increased investment plus saving.
Spread of culture
Exploring small towns gives people an opportunity to explore their local culture and values. Tourists are attracted to the authenticity of the food, culture, entertainment, and exploration of scenic beauty. Tourists can also learn about the culture of the local community after attending the festivals.
Festivals can also negatively affect a city putting pressure on the city’s organization, security and police, traffic control, damage to public property, water and sewer requirements, and cleanliness after festival. However, since SulaFest is strictly held in Sula premise with utmost attention paid to waste management, sound management and traffic management, most of the above problems are eradicated automatically. This makes SulaFest a complete economy boosting event for Nashik.
Although festivals start small, they grow because they provide entertainment, unique foods and drinks, and an opportunity for fun. However, successful festivals take vision, planning, and a lot of hard work. So is all the cost and trouble that goes into a festival or event worth it? Yes, it certainly can be.
Meanwhile, head to Sula Vineyards on 2nd and 3rd February to witness a one-of-a-kind weekend getaway with SulaFest 2019! Tickets can be booked on https://insider.in/sulafest-feb-2019/event. For more details and ticket booking contact 9860190005/13/32.
About Sula Vineyards
Sula Vineyards is the market leader and consumer favorite in Indian wine. Their award-winning wines are available nationwide at the finest hotels and restaurants and are also exported to 25 countries.
Sula is a pioneer in India’s wine tourism opening the country’s first winery Tasting Room in 2005, the first vineyard resort – Beyond by Sula, in 2010 and India’s first heritage winery resort The Source at Sula in 2017. With over 350,000 visitors last year, Sula is one of the most visited wineries in the world and the #1 spot where Indians first taste wine. Sula won the prestigious Drinks Business Award 2016 for the ‘Best Contribution to Wine and Spirits Tourism’, the first time an Indian company won a Drinks Business Award. In July 2018 Sula also became the first wine company in India to cross the 1-million case sales mark.
Firmly committed to remaining at the forefront of Indian wine, Sula continues to experiment with new grape varieties, engage in sustainable agriculture and support the local rural economy. Sula is one of the world’s most sustainable wine producers with more than half its energy coming from solar. In November 2017, Sula launched their first premium wine from their Karnataka vineyards. Kādu, (pronounced Kaa-du) is Sula’s first wine for a cause, benefiting tiger conservation in India.
In addition, the company is also a leading wine and spirits importer, with Sula Selections, a portfolio of prestigious brands like Remy Cointreau, Beluga vodka, Hardys, Trapiche, Cono Sur, and Asahi beer. SulaFest has become one of the world’s biggest vineyard music festivals and will celebrate its 12th edition in February 2019.
For more details, contact:
Disha Thakkar | disha.thakkar@sulawines.com | + 91 99700 90046
Just Nashik 