Wine roads and the redistribution of tourism flow: opportunities and constraints in the Veneto Region

Wine roads are considered a tool for rural development, allowing the redirecting of tourist flows from cities suffering from overtourism, such as Venice and Verona, to rural areas. Hence, they are an effective tool to promote rural tourism, valorising the nexus between agriculture, the local economy, and cultural heritage. This research focuses on the Veneto Region, which, on the one hand, has a high level of economic development, but, on the other hand, exhibits economic disparities between large cities and rural municipalities. The study investigates the opportunities that municipalities can harness for local development through small businesses and local farms, as well as for alleviating pressures on overtouristic areas, and the impact on regional resilience. It also examines the constraints of this approach. This research adopts a mixed-methods approach, including statistical analysis, stakeholder interviews, and website evaluations, to assess how wine roads contribute to rural vitality and which structural or policy adjustments could strengthen their impact. By examining the Veneto region as a case study, the research aims to explore how wine roads could be leveraged as a tool for sustainable rural regeneration.