Rural tourism and the effects of wine tourism on rural tourism: Comparison between Val d'Orcia, Italy and Cappadocia, Turkey

Rural areas face challenges from industrialization and urbanization, leading to decreased farm revenues and agricultural employment. Wine tourism, a hybrid industry combining wine and tourism, attracts visitors, supports regional growth, and preserves traditional farming techniques. Turkey (with Cappadocia) Italy and (with Val d’Orcia), being prominent wine-producing places, can benefit from wine tourism, ensuring local growth and employment. Understanding tourists’ nature, motivation, and intentions is crucial for wine producers and operators to maximize sales and customer benefits in those regions. In particular, both the regions are primarily focused on tourism and agriculture, being significant wine-tourism destinations. In both areas (namely, Val d’Orcia, Italy and Cappadocia, Turkey), interviews were conducted with wine producers to assess their perspectives on the impact of wine tourism on rural tourism. The interview questionnaire comprised ten open-ended questions, delving into topics such as producers' motivations, activities, marketing strategies, financial advantages, challenges, risks, authenticity, and the relationship between wine tourism and other forms of rural tourism. The findings of this study will contribute to the existing knowledge on wine tourism and rural tourism, offering practical advices for the sustainable growth of rural tourism destinations, particularly within the context of wine tourism. The results will address all three pillars of sustainability, encompassing economic, social, and environmental aspects. By understanding the impact of wine tourism on rural tourism, policymakers, tourism stakeholders, and local communities can formulate effective strategies to harness the potential benefits and mitigate any negative consequences. The results of this study will be added to the pool of knowledge and offer useful advice for the practical growth of rural tourism destinations, particularly in the context of wine tourism in all three pillars of sustainability.