Wine tourism destination competitiveness: The case of Georgia

Abstract

Being a highly competitive tourism destination means contributing to the better standard of living for the local community while having sustainability in focus. This paper aims to discuss the most important factors which make Georgia a competitive wine tourism destination. Georgia is often referred to as the birthplace of wine and has its culture and traditions deeply connected to it. The country has authentic food and wine heritage which is a central point for its renowned hospitality. Ancient wine culture attracts present-day curious visitors. The study overviews the academic literature on the key concepts and analyses the wine tourism industry in Georgia. The research summarizes that the country as a wine tourism destination has great opportunities to be competitive. Its history, traditions, hospitality, nature, and other qualities are inherited resources that can attract high-spending visitors and hence contribute to the well-being of the local community. On the other hand, there are some issues and threats that must be tackled for long-term success. The paper suggests that learning the topic with empirical methods is necessary.

Digitalization as a driver of transformation towards sustainable performance in wine tourism – the Italian case

“…Thus, a new, innovative and tremendous digitalization of wine tourism experiences seems essential to drive the sector towards survival and development (Levitskaia et al, 2020); however, as mentioned, although several studies have analysed the contribution of technology to a more sustainable wine tourism experience (Duarte Alonso et al, 2020;Sekhniashvili, 2020), a theoretical gap in the scientific literature on wine tourism seems to exist about the specific connection between digitalization and sustainability, especially in one assumes that digitalization is a potential influencer/moderator in the connection between sustainability and performance.…”

Sustainable wine tourism in a non-sustainable world

“…It involves visiting wine regions, vineyards, and wineries and participating in wine-related activities, such as wine tasting, wine pairing, and wine-making classes, all while promoting and supporting the local economy, culture, and environment. (UNWTO, 2022)" (Sekhniashvili, 2020) The main characteristics of sustainable wine tourism are adopting the characteristics of sustainable tourism to the specialties of the wine industry: (UNWTO, 2022) -Environmental Sustainability: Sustainable wine tourism involves environmentally sustainable practices such as organic and biodynamic farming, renewable energy, water conservation, and waste reduction.…”