The role of wine festivals as catalyst for promotion of fruit wine tourism: the case of Meghalaya, India

This research focuses on wine tourism in Meghalaya, India, which constitutes a new and promising prospect in the corresponding rural communities’ economic development. Beyond the traditional wine, made from grapes, there are other types of wines (‘fruit wines’), made from varieties of abundant exotic fruits of the region. These constitute a niche market, and wine festivals are used to increase sales, brand awareness, and customer loyalty. The aim of this study is to empirically investigate how the fruit wine festivals of Meghalaya attract tourists and visitors, generate interest to taste and experience homemade fruits wines, and promote fruit wine tourism activities in the state. It also investigates the efficacy of these efforts in terms of increasing public knowledge of wine tourism. The research methodologically combines empirical data with observation and qualitative research, conducted over a period of two years. The findings contribute to the theoretical knowledge of this industry and its tourism-related promotion, and they further offer valuable practical implications for businesses, regions and policymakers.