International Wine Tourism Awards awarded

last friday 11 October was held at the facilities of El Grifo Wineries, in Lanzarote, the delivery of the International Wine Tourism Awards of the University of La Laguna y El Grifo Wineries. A recognition of the best academic works related to wine tourism, presented until the academic year 2023-2024. This call, driven by the Chair of Agrotourism and Wine Tourism of the Canary Islands as a facilitating bridge between academia and the business sector, promoting dialogue and collaboration around wine tourism.

The Rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco Javier García Rodríguez highlighted the crucial role of the university in the generation of knowledge applied to wine tourism: “Through the Chair of Agrotourism and Wine Tourism, We continue to consolidate the link between the academic and business world. The award-winning research is an example of the impact that our institutions can have in promoting responsible and sustainable tourism.”.

For your part, the owner of Bodegas El Grifo, Fermín Otamendi, underlined the relevance of the initiative: “El Grifo has always been committed to innovation and the preservation of our environment, and these awards are an example of the commitment of Canarian wineries to sustainable development. The research that we reward today not only reflects academic talent, but also the potential of wine tourism as an economic and cultural engine”.

Among the winners, the Award for the Best Final Degree Project, awarded to Juan Alberto Suárez Rodríguez from the University of La Laguna, for his study “The town of Los Llanillos, on the island of El Hierro: peasant management of the territory and its possible application as a reference for contemporary comprehensive sustainability in the Frontera rural park”. His research highlights the importance of wine tourism as a conservation tool for the cultural and agricultural landscape., linking the sustainable management of the territory with local economic development.

He Award for the Best Master's Thesis It was for Santiago González González from the University of Alicante, author of “Innovation and wine tourism, “a perfect pairing”. Their study analyzes how innovation has transformed wine tourism on the Alicante Wine Route, improving the competitiveness and sustainability of the sector through digitalization and the use of advanced technologies.

Finally, the award for Best Doctoral Thesis It was delivered to Edgar Javier Sabina del Castillo of the University of La Laguna, for his research “Analysis of consumption behavior of local products in regional and tourist contexts: “The case of Canarian wine”. This work examines how factors such as sustainability and responsible behavior influence the purchasing decision of local products by tourists., providing strategies for the promotion of Canarian wine.

Gabriel Santos García, deputy director of the Chair of Agrotourism and Wine Tourism of the Canary Islands of the Canary Institute of Agri-Food Quality and the University of La Laguna, reaffirmed the commitment of both institutions to the promotion of academic research in the field of wine tourism and its application to the sustainable development of the wine sector. “Both the University of La Laguna and Bodegas El Grifo are deeply committed to promoting knowledge and innovation in wine tourism., thus contributing to the preservation of our cultural heritage and the promotion of economic and environmental sustainability”, Santos pointed out.

The event was also attended by Isabel Karely León Pérez, Vice Chancellor of Culture and University Extension of the University of La Laguna, and Luis Arraez Guadalupe, director of the Canarian Institute of Agri-Food Quality, among other authorities. Besides, a conference was offered by Gabriel Alejandro Fidel, Vice Chancellor of the National University of Cuyo (Argentina), who shared his experience in the development of sustainable wine tourism in his country. Fidel stressed the importance of international cooperation to promote innovation in the sector, highlighting the potential of alliances such as the one that exists between universities and the business sector in the Canary Islands