The annual Rheingau Wine Week once again proved to be a major crowd puller, attracting not only locals but also numerous guests from outside. This outstanding festival served as an indicator of Wiesbaden's vibrant downtown. Retailers as well as restaurants and hotels benefited from the increased number of visitors, especially on the two weekends. Mayor and Head of Economic Affairs Christiane Hinninger expressed her delight.
In the period from August 11 to 20, visitors flocked in large numbers to the area around Dern'schen Platz, Schlossplatz and the squares around the Markkirche. Martin Michel, managing director of Wiesbaden Congress & Marketing GmbH, which organizes the Rheingau Wine Week, emphasized the positive development: "The number of visitors is extremely gratifying. We are recording a consistently high number of daily visitors, similar to previous years, i.e. before the Corona pandemic. The weekends are naturally the busiest, but the winemakers are also satisfied with sales during the week."Despite occasional hours of rain and a storm on Wednesday evening that brought the festival to an early end, the generous layout of the square never led to overcrowding at any time.
The reintroduction of the wine festival voucher by the economic department, which could be redeemed upon presentation of an ESWE subscription or a wine festival event ticket, helped to increase the attractiveness of the festival and the use of public transport. The bicycle checkroom was also very popular, so that during the main hours there was no more capacity available. The mayor stressed the high demand and the use of environmentally friendly travel options.
The balance of the law enforcement and rescue forces was also positive. Additional operations were required on weekends and hot days, mainly due to circulatory problems. Overall, however, the visitors behaved prudently and relaxed, there were no major incidents. The cooperation between Wiesbaden Congress & Marketing GmbH and the authorities involved went smoothly, even during the weather-related breakup on Wednesday evening.
The organizers were satisfied with the utilization of service providers. All booth spaces were fully occupied. The cooperation with winegrowers and restaurateurs and other service providers went smoothly.
Michel emphasized the ongoing optimization of the festival, with special attention to sustainable aspects. The goal, he said, is a safe and smooth event that gives satisfaction to all involved and allows visitors to enjoy the festival in a relaxed atmosphere. Michel added: "In the ideal case, our out-of-town guests will also return home inspired and with positive impressions and recommend a visit to our city to others."
