Winery Tourism Life-cycle Development: A Proposed Model

A number of studies have shown the potential benefits of wine tourism. However, relatively few have given thought to the strategic context of the winery and how this may affect the support for, and development of, a wine tourism strategy. Using an organizational life-cycle model, the authors examine whether wine tourism strategies develop through their own life-cycle in response to changes in the external environment and the strategy of the firm. The authors employ a grounded theory approach to build a five-stage wine tourism life-cycle based upon three in-depth case studies of New World wineries and a review of the general wine tourism literature. The suggested model can provide a road map for wine tourism stakeholders to plan future strategies and developments.