Wine tourism in New Zealand

Abstract

This chapter presents an overview of the development of wine tourism in New Zealand’s expanding wine and tourism industry. The majority of wine producers in New Zealand are small or boutique in scale, and wine tourism provides an important distribution channel for wine sales and an opportunity for building brand loyalty. These developments do not come without risks and substantial financial and personnel costs; risks that are only exacerbated in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. To counter these issues, a case study is presented of a family owned boutique winery developing innovative wine tourism offerings at a scale that is within reach of many wine producers, highlighting the fact that memorable and successful wine tourism experiences do not have to be exclusive and expensive.