Sustainability in Wine Tourism: Trends in the Brazilian Market

Abstract

In the last few decades, the wine industry has become extremely competitive, offering a diversified range of products to a global market. The increasing global competition has led wine producers around the world to seek new strategies to stand out in the market. Among these strategies, the role of sustainability practices in the processes of winemaking has been enhanced by the growing market and now plays a central role. Sustainably produced wine is an added attraction to wine tourism, which is also a marketing strategy used by some tourist destinations to promote the image of wine-producing regions, attract visitors, and facilitate the marketing of wine and other products made from grapes. Besides increasing competitiveness, producers also aim to meet the demands of a new consumer profile. This research investigated the main sustainability practices used by a selection of Brazilian wineries in the Vale dos Vinhedos region, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil-analyzing their contribution to increasing wine tourism and making it more competitive by implementing sustainable practices. The research employed a qualitative and descriptive approach based on qualitative modeling. The results point to skepticism about the implementation of sustainable processes and managers of the surveyed wineries did not perceive the implementation of sustainability practices as a competitive factor affecting the growth of wine tourism.