Sustainable Environmental Management of Vineyard Tourism in Thailand

Abstract

The wine vineyard tourism industry of Thailand is new compared to those of globally renowned regions, but it has a strong potential to develop into a regional economic engine. Hence, it will need to consider sustainability as part of its growth efforts for long-term viability; however, there is almost no research on the local industry and its practices. The objectives of this study were (1) to provide a systematic review of existing research on sustainable wine tourism in Asia and (2) to assess the environmental practices of Thai vineyards involved in wine tourism and explore the environmental consciousness of their managers and owners. The first objective was examined using relevant studies to provide a wide overview with which to examine the potential for sustainable wine tourism practices in Thailand by comparison with similar efforts in other parts of Asia. These studies created an evaluation framework for current and future Thai vineyard development and its prospects for sustainable tourism. The scarcity of systematic studies on the Asian wine vineyard tourism industry, and thus of its related tourism, simply highlights the need to address this potential economic growth niche. As wines and vineyard tourism are not yet very popular in Asia, they are nonetheless increasingly seen as a potential export opportunity that can also attract tourists from Western nations, and the trend will most likely close the research gap over time. A similar situation is seen in Thailand, a microcosm of the Asian landscape, in that wines are consumed more by younger people, though its apparent health benefits are also gaining favour. Until the wine vineyard industry gains a larger measure of economic strength to garner stronger support, wine vineyard tourism will remain a small sector in the Thai economy. The second study collected data from Thailand's wine vineyards, and, through document research, field surveys, in-depth interviews, local forums, focus groups and analyses, identified key factors in economic, social, cultural and environmental terms to develop an outline for potential small-scale followed by large-scale wine-related tourism development. Interacting with the perceptions of the Thai vineyard industry and its cultural landscape allowed to assess the extent to which it is attractive to potential wine vineyard tourists. The study provides Thailand's vineyards with relevant recommendations for the development of sustainable wine vineyard tourism. The research outcome was twofold: (1) establishing a basic benchmark for future research and (2) shedding much-needed light on an economic niche with high growth potential but little empirical research.