Wine tourism and sustainability: Case studies in the Alicante Wine Route (Spain)

Abstract

Wine tourism has emerged in recent years as one of the most important and prosperous tourism products on offer in Spain. Among its regions, the province of Alicante and the Alicante Wine Route present great potential for economic and sustainable development. The aim of this research is to analyse the extent to which the wineries belonging to the Alicante Wine Route develop their wine tourism activities responsibly, respecting social, environmental and economic conditions. To do so, the case method has been deployed using triangulation to increase the validity of the study. The results of the research reveal that wine tourism represents a source of wealth for the wineries under study, as well as an effective tool for transmitting local history, gastronomy and local culture to the tourists who come to their facilities. From an environmental point of view, the commitment of the wineries analysed to the adoption of actions that respect the surrounding environment merits highlighting.