Contemporary Perspectives in Wine Tourism: Theory, Methods and Practice

Call for Papers – Contemporary Perspectives in Wine Tourism: Theory, Methods and Practice

Journal: International Journal of Wine Business Research (IJWBR)
Publisher: Emerald Publishing

Submission window: 1 December 2025 – 30 June 2026

This special issue is developed in partnership with the 16th Conference of the Academy of Wine Business Research (AWBR 2026) at the University of Adelaide, Australia (2–6 February 2026). It invites high‑quality research on wine tourism experiences, innovations, digitalisation, and sustainable development in the wine sector, with a focus on contemporary shifts and stakeholder perspectives.

Why this issue matters

• Wine tourism sits at the intersection of cultural heritage, rural economic development, and consumer experience, and is being reshaped by digital technologies, sustainability expectations, and changing tourist behaviours.

• The SI complements AWBR 2026 by providing a route for selected conference papers (and non‑attendees’ abstracts) to be developed as full‑length, peer‑reviewed articles in the leading wine‑business research journal.

• It explicitly welcomes multi‑stakeholder perspectives, including wineries, regional associations, destinations, tourism and hospitality businesses, and professional event organisers.

Key themes and topic areas

Contributions should be theoretical or empirical and connect to wine tourism analysis from the viewpoints of different stakeholders. Priority topics include:

• Wine tourism and experience co‑creation

  • Novel approaches in the wine industry that shape tourism experiences (e.g., precision viticulture, organic/biodynamic farming, modern cellar technologies, sustainability initiatives, and community engagement).

  • How wine‑tourism experiences are designed and co‑created along the supply chain, from vineyard to hospitality and destination branding.

• Digitalisation and innovation in wine tourism

  • Digital platforms, e‑tourism, smart‑winery technologies, virtual and augmented‑reality experiences, and data‑driven customer‑experience management.

  • Digital marketing, social‑media‑driven wine‑tourism campaigns, and the impact of digitalisation on small and family‑owned wineries.

• Wine experiences, regional trends, and cultural contexts

  • Regional and national wine‑tourism strategies, comparative case studies, and cross‑cultural analyses of wine‑tourism practices.

  • Best practices in wine‑tourism development, including rural‑tourism linkages and heritage‑based attractions.

• Business models, entrepreneurship, and hospitality

  • Entrepreneurial wine‑tourism models (e.g., agritourism, experiential hospitality, wine‑event‑based business, and farm‑to‑glass experiences).

  • Role of hospitality services (hotels, restaurants, wine‑focused inns) in shaping the overall wine‑tourism offer.

• Added value and socio‑cultural marketing of wine tourism

  • Storytelling, heritage preservation (e.g., historical vineyards, traditional winemaking), and regional‑identity promotion through wine tourism.

  • Socio‑cultural and community‑based impacts of wine tourism, including local‑economic development, cultural‑value creation, and authenticity.

Abstracts and full papers may focus on single‑case, comparative, qualitative, quantitative, or mixed‑methods designs, provided they are theoretically grounded and methodologically sound.

Guest editors

• Dr. Natalia Velikova, Texas Tech University, USA

• Dr. Donna Sears, Acadia University, Canada

• Dr. Tatiana Bouzdine‑Chameeva, Kedge Business School, France

Submission process and key dates

1. Abstract‑based route (conference attendees and non‑attendees)

   • Abstract opening: 1 December 2025

   • Abstract closing: 1 February 2026

   • Scholars who submitted to AWBR 2026 and had their paper accepted will be invited to prepare a full journal manuscript based on the conference feedback and IJWBR guidelines.

   • Scholars unable to attend the conference may submit an extended abstract (using the AWBR template at: https://business.adelaide.edu.au/awbr2026) directly to the guest editors by 1 February 2026 as an expression of interest.

2. Full‑manuscript submission (for selected authors only)

   • Manuscript opening: 1 December 2025

   • Manuscript closing: 30 June 2026

   • Full manuscripts must be submitted via ScholarOne Manuscripts for IJWBR:
     https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ijwbr

   • During submission, select the “Special Issue title” corresponding to this SI under the “Please select the issue you are submitting to” field.

   • All papers undergo double‑blind peer review following IJWBR standards.

   • Only full research articles (no short papers or research notes) will be considered.

Authors must strictly follow the journal’s Author Guidelines, available here:
https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/ijwbr#jlp_author_guidelines

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