Developing and Branding a Wine Destination Through UNESCO World Heritage Listing: The Case of the Mount Lofty Ranges Agrarian Landscape

Abstract

Winescapes represent cultural ecosystems affording various economical and non-economical values (e.g. aesthetic, educational, spiritual, entertainment) to their communities. However, winescape stakeholders (tourists, residents, wine producers, entrepreneurs etc.) understand, see, use and appreciate the value of cultural ecosystems differently and sometimes conflicting. This chapter adopts the concept of cultural ecosystems for explaining the cultural and heritage value of winescapes and discussing the benefits of UNESCO WH listing for wine regions including: wine destination branding and marketing; a plan for pursuing sustainable (tourism) development; and stakeholder management, collaborations and involvement. The case of Mount Lofty Ranges is used for explaining the process, the rational and the benefits that a wine destination can derive by pursuing WH listing. The case study highlights the following issues as key success factors for valorizing the potential of WH listing: building stakeholder awareness and involvement, aligning the process with other governmental policies and priorities and using it as a tool for sustainable (tourism) development.