Sustainable Wine Tourism: The Host Community Perspective

The meaning and elements of sustainable wine tourism from the community perspective are explored. A case study method involving multi-stakeholder input was employed to identify issues specific to the Town of Oliver, British Columbia, which is the self-proclaimed ‘Wine Capital of Canada’. The case illustrates challenges facing a town that is aggressively pursuing wine tourism development, but it must deal with serious implications for agriculture, the natural environment, and the community. Recommendations made for Oliver, both strategies and implementation methods, provide a useful starting point for other communities engaged in wine tourism development. More general implications are drawn on the application of the life cycle concept to wine tourism, and specific research recommendations are made.