Relevance and challenges of wine tourism in Germany: a winery operators' perspective

Purpose This paper aims to put Germany on par with other countries in terms of academic research on the topic of wine tourism from a producers' perspective. Design/methodology/approach For this study, 199 in-depth interviews and 703 online questionnaires with winery operators in Germany were collected and analyzed according to a mixed-methods framework. Findings The results indicate that wine tourism is highly relevant not only for wineries but also for the families behind the predominantly small companies. The respondents reported increased demand for wine tourism activities, particularly those that are close to large cities. The findings show that the main challenges in the German wine tourism sector are to achieve a coordinated collaboration among stakeholders and to stop the ongoing concentration process in the restaurant industry. Social implications Appropriate strategic decisions backed by governmental support may help to enhance Germany's developing wine tourism industry, thereby preserving cultural heritage and strengthening some of the country's structurally disadvantaged rural areas. Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, this work is the first mixed-methods framework study in the research field of wine tourism that includes producers from all wine regions in one country.