The Special Issue “Contemporary Perspectives on Wine Tourism ” of the International Journal of Wine Business Research is proposed in partnership with the 16th Conference of the Academy of Wine Business Research (AWBR) taking place at the University of Adelaide (Australia), February 2-6, 2026.
This AWBR conference aims to stimulate advanced research and discussion around the themes of wine tourism experiences, innovations and digitalisation of the wine sector, regional experiences and sustainable development.
Wine tourism, a vibrant and rapidly evolving sector, stands at the intersection of cultural heritage, (rural) economic development, and consumer experience. As global landscapes shift, driven by technological advancements, changing consumer expectation and an increasing awareness of environmental and social responsibilities, the foundation of wine tourism also undergoes a profound transformation. Taking into consideration these changes, the purpose of this Special Issue is to delve into these critical market shifts, offering a comprehensive exploration of the current trends and challenges of the dynamics of wine tourism. Specifically, this Special Issue aims to encourage theoretical and empirical contributions on wine tourism analysed from the points of view of different stakeholders in the wine sector.
While a substantial body of research on wine tourism already exists, this call for papers specifically invites manuscripts that address the effect of novel approaches in the industry on wine tourism experiences, such as adoption of precision viticulture, organic or biodynamic farming, modern cellar technologies, sustainable initiatives, and community engagement. Beyond the consumer’s perspective, this Special Issue welcomes studies that analyse how to effectively generate compelling wine experiences from the standpoint of the supply system. This includes contributions from the various stakeholders involved in the broader wine tourism and hospitality supply chain, such as individual wineries, regional wine business associations, territorial institutions, dedicated tourism and hospitality businesses, and professional wine event organizers. Understanding their roles, challenges, and strategies in crafting and delivering authentic and memorable experiences is paramount. Furthermore, the value of wine experiences within the broader system of wine culture and heritage, particularly from a socio-cultural marketing perspective, represents another significant field of interest for this Special Issue. This could encompass studies on the role of storytelling, the preservation of historical vineyards, or the promotion of regional identity through wine tourism.
The collaboration between the AWBR conference and the International Journal of Wine Business Research (IJWBR) through this Special Issue offers a unique forum for knowledge development in these critical fields. The AWBR conferences have long been recognized as a central point of reference for leading wine business scholars globally. In parallel, the IJWBR stands as the leading academic journal for wine business research, including with the extensive number of articles on wine tourism published and highly cited over the last twenty years. This partnership ensures that accepted manuscripts will reach a wide and influential academic audience.
List of Topic Areas
- Wine tourism
- Digitalisation and innovations
- Wine experiences, regional and national trends, cultural differences and similarities, best practices in wine tourism
- Business models and entrepreneurship
- Hospitality
- Added value in wine tourism
Journal Information: Scopus Journal Q2, H-Index 48
Submission Information
Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available here:
Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see:
Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to “Please select the issue you are submitting to”.
The Special Issue will be based on original contributions that have not been previously published nor are currently under review elsewhere. Submissions accepted to the 2026 AWBR conference will be considered for selection for this IJWBR Special Issue. Authors of the selected papers will be guided to prepare their manuscript following the recommendations received from the rigorous conference review process and the journal’s specific guidelines. All submitted manuscripts will then undergo the standard IJWBR double-blind peer-review process to ensure academic quality, with the final decision on publications depending entirely on the positive outcome of the comprehensive review process.
Following the paper selection by the guest editors, full manuscripts must be submitted using the journal online submission system (see first button above) by the 30th of June 2026. All submissions must strictly adhere to the journal guidelines for authors (see second button above). Short papers and research notes will not be considered for this Special Issue.
Scholars unable to attend the conference but interested in this call for papers may submit an extended abstract as an expression of interest. Abstracts must follow the template on the conference website (https://business.adelaide.edu.au/awbr2026) and be emailed directly to the guest editors between December 1, 2025 and February 1, 2026.
Key Dates
Opening date for manuscript submissions: 1 December 2025
Closing date for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026
Opening date for abstract submissions: 1 December 2025
Closing date for abstract submissions: 1 February 2026
For more details refer here
