Managing Wine Tourism and Biodiversity: The Art of Ambidexterity for Sustainability

Abstract

Wine tourism is a mutually beneficial opportunity for customers to experience a wine region and for wine producers to promote their individual practices and approaches in the wine- making process. This article aims to understand producers’ perspectives on the challenges they face when trying to protect their wine estate’s biodiversity as they develop wine-related touristic activities. The research is based on an exploratory, multiple case study of wine producers, who are protecting their wine estate’s biodiversity on in Languedoc-Roussillon region, France. The study reveals the important synergies between biodiversity and wine tourism to increase global sustainability, to bond with customers and to positively impact the wine region. Yet, promoting biodiversity on a wine estate creates tensions on resources and requires investments which are not always highly profitable. Raising awareness about biodiversity is also much needed at both ends of the “producer-customer” relationship. Our results led us to develop an ambidexterity model, adapted to the management of wineries, that concurrently protects their biodiversity and develops wine tourism. We believe these results can be useful for both public and private stakeholders to adapt their wine tourism service offers, and support wine producers in their quest to develop biodiversity of their lands and overall sustainability.