Filling up the sustainability glass: wineries’ initiatives towards sustainable wine tourism

ABSTRACT

In considering various premises of stakeholder theory, this study enhances the understanding of sustainable practices among wineries offering wine tourism experiences. Face-to-face interviews carried out with winery owners-managers operating in three wine regions of emerging economies highlight adherence to the four pillars of sustainability at various levels, and reveal four key dimensions, each associated with the level of involvement in sustainable practices. Accordingly, the most fulfilling, the ‘full-glass’ dimension, illustrates observance to environmental, social, economic, and cultural sustainability. Several proposed frameworks illustrate conceptually and empirically the significance of the four pillars in the context of sustainable wine tourism.

KEYWORDS:

• Sustainable wine tourism
• sustainability
• owners-managers
• emerging economies
• stakeholder theory

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the reviewers for their constructive and useful feedback.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Abel Duarte Alonso

Abel Duarte Alonso's Research interests include micro, small and medium enterprises, family enterprises, innovation, wine entrepreneurship, tourism, hospitality, and community development.

Alessandro Bressan

Alessandro Bressan's Research interests include entrepreneurship, innovation, business and community.

Seng Kiat Kok

Seng Kiat Kok's Research interests include focuses upon entrepreneurship, public sector management and higher education management.

Seamus O’Brien

Seamus O'Brien's Research interests include economics of small business, rural entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity.