Phygital Innovations for Wine Tourism During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the Jurançon Wine Cooperative in South West France

The objective of this chapter is to analyse the innovations adopted by the Jurançon Wine Cooperative (South West France) during the COVID-2019 pandemic in 2020/2021) and show how innovation helped maintain its tourist activity. The Jurançon Wine Cooperative is an SME at the forefront in terms of technological innovation and sustainable strategy and it is the 6th largest company in France in terms of the number of visitors per year (270, 000). Wine tourism players in France are more inclined to develop physical innovations related to local heritage than digital tools. Consequently, the implementation of "phygital” (i.e. both physical and digital) innovations in the wine tourism sector, as well as the analysis of a "phygital experience” for tourists, appears to have not yet been analysed. This chapter covers the outcomes of a case study method over a period of 1 year (2020) with the Jurançon Wine Cooperative. This was carried by out by a mix of focus groups interviews and observations with winegrowers, and analysis of secondary documents. The first results reveal that the COVID-19 crisis, which appeared in France in March 2020, accelerated the implementation of digital innovations in order to maintain wine tourist activity. However, it slowed down the implementation of a sustainable approach due to operational constraints. Conceptually, the results are twofold: firstly, innovations implemented by the Jurançon Wine Cooperative to develop its wine tourism strategy are physical, digital and partnership-based, which can be described as "phygital”. For example, physical innovations relate to a visit of the vineyards by small train or a pop-up store. Digital initiatives include videos for tourists arriving by bus and visiting the cooperative, or the development of JC's website for tourists. Secondly, a wine tourism experience for tourists can be defined as "phygital” as contributes to creating a new way for tourists to experience wine tourism in a dual physical and virtual world. This "phygital” tourism experience is a radical change for wine tourists, and constitutes a new experiential model. Our recommendation to wine tourism professionals is to set up a similar "phygital strategy” to encourage more tourists to be able have a richer experience during their visit. However, it is strongly recommended that a balance between "physical” vs. " digital” strategies is maintained, because of the importance of the human contact in the wine sector. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.

Innovation, Collaboration and Wine Tourism in Canada's Okanagan Valley: The British Columbia Beverage Technology Access Centre

Wine tourism is an important component of the wine industry in Canada's Okanagan Valley. This chapter discusses the role of the federally funded British Columbia Beverage Technology Access Centre in assisting small to medium enterprises in the development of their wine tourism business specifically and their sustainability in general. The chapter identifies and discusses the benefits and challenges faced by public organizations in collaborating with private sector operators. It also discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the operation of wine tourism in the Valley and how the Centre has responded to this major impact. Finally, the chapter also discusses the interaction between Okanagan College, the Centre's primary sponsor, its faculty and students with the wine industry including the ways in which this interaction has benefitted wine tourism in the region. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.

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

PurposeThe main aim of this research was to investigate whether and how digitalization affects sustainability and performance in wine tourism.Design/methodology/approachBased on the data emerging from the 2019 National Report on Wine Tourism from the National Association of "Wine Cities" in Italy (the most extreme case in the world of wine), three macro-agglomerates were investigated: digitalization, sustainability and performance, adopting descriptive and inferential statistics.FindingsAlthough rigorous correlation between adopted digitalization and performed sustainability on one side and performed sustainability and market performance on the other cannot be verified for the 92 wineries under investigation, there is visible evidence that the more digitalized wineries are, the more sustainable they become and the better their performance. Evidence was not found to support the idea that the more sustainable wineries are, the more they are digitalized and the better their performance. Research implications and limitations to theoretical and practical application have been discussed.Originality/valueWine tourism, which is naturally associated with rural tourism, is a form of tourism in which sustainability has strong relevance, particularly considering the future needs/desires of post-pandemic tourists. At the same time, digitalization, especially in pandemic and post-pandemic tourism, is credited with developing a huge impact in this business, although wine tourism is most probably conceivable as a meta-market, with a strong cultural essence. In this respect, a digitalization > sustainability > performance approach seems practicable and globally profitable.

China: The Bankable State

The volume on China: The Bankable State rejects neoliberal consensus and focuses on crucial contributions of the Chinese state in shaping Chinese economy. This book makes crucial theoretical contributions to the study of local political economy of China. This book engages with Chinese state responses to challenges China faces in the processes of reform, transition and development of both commercial and non-commercial banks. This book explores Chinese economic growth and development policy processes and its uniqueness in the wider world economy. The book examines Chinese financial policy praxis and offers an insightful account of its successes for the wider resurgence of alternative political economy of local development. Additionally, this book also showcases state led entrepreneurship in China. The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.

Hierarchical Bayesian hedonic regression analysis of Japanese rice wine: is the price right?

PurposeThis paper aims to formulate a hedonic pricing model for Japanese rice wine, sake, via hierarchical Bayesian modeling estimated using an efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. Using the estimated model, the authors examine how producing regions, rice breeds and taste characteristics affect sake prices.Design/methodology/approachThe datasets in the estimation consist of cross-sectional observations of 403 sake brands, which include sake prices, taste indicators, premium categories, rice breeds and regional dummy variables. Data were retrieved from Rakuten, Japan's largest online shopping site. The authors used the Bayesian estimation of the hedonic pricing model and used an ancillarity–sufficiency interweaving strategy to improve the sampling efficiency of MCMC.FindingsThe estimation results indicate that Japanese consumers value sweeter sake more, and the price of sake reflects the cost of rice preprocessing only for the most-expensive category of sake. No distinctive differences were identified among rice breeds or producing regions in the hedonic pricing model.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to estimate a hedonic pricing model of sake, despite the rich literature on alcoholic beverages. The findings may contribute new insights into consumer preference and proper pricing for sake breweries and distributors venturing into the e-commerce market.

Problems and opportunities within the wine industry in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected and still affects various sectors, including the agricultural sector. A specific industry deriving from agriculture is the wine industry. The purpose of this article is to find out and analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the wine sector, especially regarding the Slovakia wine sector. To achieve this, a wide literary research study was conducted through which an overview of the global wine industry situation was obtained. Subsequently, the impact of COVID-19 on a selected wine business in the Slovak Republic was determined via interviewing. The findings were further analysed and compared with the situations of other Slovak and foreign wineries. It follows from the observations that both risk diversification within supplying and purchasing relations and the business's essential need to adapt to new circumstances under adverse conditions are very important factors. The article's contribution lies in a summarization of the problems and opportunities within the wineries as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, based on a wide literary research review and interviews with an employee of the large wine company, and the conclusions can also be applied to other agricultural industries.

COVID-19 and the Ugandan Presidential Election: Contesting Lockdown Authority in Popular Songs

The COVID-19 pandemic struck when Uganda was in the middle of an acrimonious campaign season, in which longstanding president Yoweri Museveni was being challenged by Bobi Wine, a reggae singer turned politician. When Museveni imposed a strict lockdown, musicians sympathetic to Wine responded with songs about COVID-19 that challenged the government's short-term, biopolitical demarcation of the national emergency. Pier and Mutagubya interpret a selection of Ugandan COVID-19 pop songs from 2020, considering in musical-historical perspective their various strategies for re-narrating the health crisis.

Virtual wine experiences: is covid extending the boundaries of wine tourism?

Wine tourism has long been a strategic tool for Italian wineries. The Covid-19 outbreak jeopardised its dynamics on multiple levels, creating physical (e.g., social distancing, travel bans) and psychological barriers. Online wine experiences constitute one of the key resilience strategies adopted by wine tourism actors, being still a relatively unexplored phenomenon in the scientific literature. The current study tackles this gap by analysing the drivers of interest in online wine experiences on the demand side, i.e. among a sample of Italian wine tourists (n=408), through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Notably, the model considers long-term (involvement with wine) and short-term (Covid-19 fear and anxiety) factors, digitalisation and willingness to support local wineries by partaking in wine tourism. Results highlight that the interest in online wine experiences is driven by context-dependent factors like fear and anxiety linked to Covid-19, and the involvement with wine. Diversely, willingness to go on a wine holiday is not a significant antecedent, even with Covid-19 fear and anxiety as limiting factors. Practical and managerial implications are discussed. © 2022 Giulia Gastaldello, Elisa Giampietri, Elena Zaghini, Luca Rossetto. This is an open access, peer-reviewed article published by Firenze University Press (http://www.fupress.com/wep) and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Wine, Tourism and COVID-19: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Wine Routes of Spain

Several studies have addressed the role played by the Spanish Wine Routes in boosting the competitiveness of a territory, increasing wine production, improving the quality of life of citizens and respecting the environment. However, to our knowledge, the impact of COVID-19 on these wine routes has not been addressed in the academic literature. In order to overcome this research gap, this paper aims to analyse the impact of the pathogen on the supply and demand of tourist activities by analysing the evolution of the institution members of the Spanish wine routes and the economic impact of the 32 routes that make up this tourist product. © PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural.

Managing Digital Presence in Wineries Practicing Heroic Agriculture: The Cases of Ribeira Sacra and Lanzarote (Spain)

Wine tourism has become an exciting avenue of development for rural wine-producing regions. The channels through which these millenary traditions are transmitted are diverse, and the wineries that practice heroic viticulture can sustainably influence the economic recovery process, especially after the COVID-19 crisis. This paper analyzes the possibilities offered by social media to promote rural territory and wine production in a sustainable way through wine tourism. For this purpose, we have used the case study of the wineries of the Ribeira Sacra appellation of origin and the Canary Islands context in the Lanzarote AO. The methodology used has counted, on the one hand, the existence of web pages of the geographical demarcations mentioned. On the other hand, a study of these wineries' presence on the three main social networking sites, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, has been carried out. The main focus has been on a content analysis of the social network Instagram, taking into account the terroir's emotional values and tourist attractions. The results show that their presence on the Internet could be higher, as only 55% of the wineries of these appellations of origin have a website. In the case of Instagram, the percentages decrease in Ribeira Sacra and increase in Lanzarote. Finally, it has been possible to trace a model of rural development supported by sustainable tourism, wherein emotional values and transmitted attractions stand out, alongside elements related to the landscape and nature and the wine landscape, tradition and gastronomy. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Agronomy is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Exploring key factors sustaining micro and small food, wine and hospitality firms through the COVID-19 crisis

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to contribute to the understanding of how micro and small firm owners/managers cope with an extreme event, as this has implications on how firms make decisions. The study considers self-efficacy and stakeholder theory as tools to gain more in-depth knowledge.Design/methodology/approachThe perspectives of owners/managers of 308 micro and small firms operating in the food, wine and hospitality industries in Italy, one of the most affected nations, were drawn through an online questionnaire.FindingsThe importance of determination, passion, family support and a sense of responsibility towards internal and external stakeholders emerged as fundamental factors helping firms confront the crisis. Five theoretical dimensions that help explain how firm owners/managers make decisions to safeguard their firms during the COVID-19 crisis are identified. Three of these, "motivational”, "stepping up” and "firm-based”, are directly associated with tenets of self-efficacy theory, and two, "human-moral” and "entity-based”, with stakeholder theory. Further complementing this second contribution, a theoretical framework underlining conceptual and practical implications is proposed.Originality/valueThe study delves into the challenges and survival of a key group of firms facing an extreme crisis. The identified dimensions provide useful conceptual depth and practical insights that, together, form part of a proposed framework. For instance, the "human-moral” dimension reflects upon aspects that have wider implications, notably, for firms' employees and the wider society.

Challenges of the wine industry of Baja California, Mexico

The Baja California wine industry has developed significantly in recent decades, based on the increase in wine consumption in Mexico and the state government's interest for the development of regional vocations. However, its growth has not been accompanied by an integration of the sector among the producers and with the communities where it is based. This work presents an analysis of the current situation of viticulture in the state from its value chain, to identify the challenges before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, considering the actions carried out from the production of the grape, transformation of the wine, distribution, marketing and commercialization, highlighting the social problems that affect the development of the sector and cultural identity. In this research was used the systematization methodology, which articulates the experiences of key actors related to the industry in the territory. To obtain the information, focus groups organized by activities related to the wine sector in Valle de Guadalupe were held.

Research regarding the changes that happened on the Romanian wine market during the COVID-19 pandemic period

Even though it is among the top ten European wine producers and the top 20 worldwide, in Romania, the wine culture is not as well developed as in countries such as Portugal, Italy and France, considered the largest consuming countries of wine, from the European Union. In addition, there is a differentiation between urban and rural preferences for wine consumption. Romania is one of the major wine producers, at the European level, ranking 6th, with a total production of 5.4 million hl in 2021, being on an upward trend in last years. The national wine market is in a continuous rise, being determined by a growing demand, supported by the health benefits of wine products. The quality of the wines and the way they are presented, the innovation of flavors and the new distribution networks, combined with the changes that occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic, impose new consumption models.

New wine tourism strategies during the Covid19 crisis - a comparison in five different countries

To compensate for loss of business during the COVID-19 crisis, wineries in the tourism industry had to apply new strategies. In order to collect and compare these newly developed sustainable strategies, a cross-cultural study has been conducted in 2021. This study is based on a qualitative survey with key decision-makers of 70 wineries from the U.S., Australia, Germany, Hungary and Romania. The aim was to identify new and sustainable initiatives and resilience strategies implemented to deal with the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, noting cultural differences in each country's response, and to analyse the perspectives of wine tourism in the future. The findings highlight the wineries' focus on creativity and flexibility while also bringing attention to cultural differences. We can conclude that the most important initiatives were in the areas of CRM database management, promoting direct-to-consumer sales and digitalisation, holding virtual events and tastings, and offering new product delivery methods, albeit to a very different degree. The findings provide initial suggestions for best practice strategies that wine tourism companies can incorporate into their future business planning.

43rd World Congress of Vine and Wine, Ensenada, Mexico, 31 October-4 November 2022

These proceedings contain over 100 articles discussing the latest developments and challenges facing the vine and wine industry, focusing on 4 major themes such as viticulture, oenology, economy and law, and safety and health. Specific topics discussed include the adaptation and optimization of viticultural resources, the characterization of different microclimate to improve grape quality, the validation of new oenological techniques, and the resilience of the wine sector after the COVID-19 pandemic. Other topics included the impact of climate change on viticulture, the market competitiveness of the wine sector, and public health aspects wine consumption.

Recent evolution of wine exports in a turbulence period: a multiregional input-output analysis.

This study focuses on analysing the economic impact (in value-added terms) generated by Spanish wine exports during the period 2018-2020, characterized by significant geopolitical changes and market shocks produced by Brexit, the entry into force of the Federal Law on Viticulture and Winemaking in the Russian Federation, the imposition of tariffs by the USA and the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, the multiregional input-output model was used to identify the overall effects (direct and indirect) in different countries deriving from the changes in final demand. The paper shows that both the world wine trade and Spanish wine exports have been negatively affected by the recent changes in the analysed period. It is estimated that the accumulated losses since 2018 as a result of the decrease in the value-added generated by Spanish wine exports exceed 300 million euros. In addition, the results suggest that the negative effects of COVID-19 are greater than the effects caused by the rest of the geopolitical changes.

Wine tourism in Spain: The economic impact derived from visits to wineries and museums on wine routes

Wine and tourism represent a perfect symbiosis, as they offer a different experience to tourists and also promote the economic, social, and environmental development of wine regions. In Spain, wine tourism is an increasingly important research field and several studies have been conducted on the role of wine routes in boosting the competitiveness of a territory, increasing wine production, improving the quality of life of citizens, and respecting the environment. However, to the best of our knowledge, the economic impact generated by these routes in Spain has not been addressed in the academic literature. To overcome this research gap, this paper aims to analyze the supply and demand of tourism activities by examining the evolution of the institutions involved in the Spanish wine routes, on the one hand, and the economic impact of these routes, on the other. The results show a sharp drop in the supply of institutions and the demand for tourist routes in 2020 as a result of COVID-19, with a decrease of 2.58% in the total number of institutions adhered to the wine routes, a decrease of 73.53% in the total number of visitors to the different Wine Routes of Spain and a decrease of 74.7% in the economic impact compared to the previous year. Likewise, the research shows the existence of differences between the Wine Routes of Spain in terms of the number of visitors and their economic impact, which could serve as a guide for managers to make investments through acquisitions and/or their own investments in wineries located on the routes with the greatest economic impact.

Implications of an exogenous shock (COVID-19) on wine tourism business: A Portuguese winery perspective

This study investigates the impact of an exogenous and unexpected shock (COVID-19) on the wine tourism business from the winery's perspective. A sample of 146 Portuguese wineries was surveyed. The econometric results show that the share of wine tourism sales, the amount of dependence on exports and the assertiveness of brand recognition have a structural effect on direct-to-consumer tasting room wine sales, even when the winery's business is disrupted by a shock that degrades the dynamics and flows of international trade. The research establishes a starting point that allows to understand the implications of an exogenous shock on the structure of the winery's business, calling for further research on the firm's economic performance as well as on the consumer's behaviour in a post-pandemic context. © The Author(s) 2022.

Glass half-full? A comprehensive PLS-SEM approach to explore the pandemic's effect on wine tourism intentions

Purpose: This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview on positive drivers and negative factors connected to the Covid-19 pandemic which can jointly shape wine tourism intentions. Design/methodology/approach: The present study relies on a large sample of 399 US wine tourists. Partial least square structural equation modelling is adopted for data analysis. Findings: Results reveal that willingness to avoid Covid risk while travelling negatively impacts wine tourism intentions and competitively mediates the effect of Covid phobia. Both situational and personal involvement with wine are key antecedents of future wine tourism intentions. Research limitations/implications: This research contributes to understand the role of willingness to avoid travel-related risks during health crises. Furthermore, it improves existing knowledge on the effect of wine involvement on wine tourism intentions, highlighting the predictive relevance of situational involvement in explaining this relationship. Practical implications: Results constitute critical information to practitioners and destination management operators for improving their resilience under similar circumstances. Updated information on wine tourists' profile is also provided. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is among the first studies exploring how positive and negative drivers act synergically in affecting wine tourism intentions after the Covid-19 outbreak. © 2023, Giulia Gastaldello, Nadia Streletskaya and Luca Rossetto.