Wine Tourism Next-Gen: A Case Study of a Virtual Reality Implementation in a Wine Cooperative in France

This chapter discusses the planning and implementation of a virtual reality (VR) project by a small wine cooperative in the south of France. As competition in the wine industry continually increases, wine stakeholders are always looking for new and more efficient ways to attract and retain customers. Although VR-based solutions are increasingly used in retailing for marketing purposes, only very few operators in the wine industry have started using VR to enhance customer experiences and satisfaction. This research is based on an illustrative case with the Labastide Wine Cooperative. Our data collection was formalised through participating observations. In addition to these observations, one-on-one semi structured interviews with key internal players within the organisation were also conducted. The chapter starts by presenting the concept of the VR project idea and the technology solution that was adopted for maximising the technology while making it compatible with the cooperative’s needs. The chapter continues by discussing the obstacles that the wine cooperative had to face during the technology implementation, which include: the implementation of the VR technology, the development of the resources used for the VR, and the use of VR by consumers. Finally, the chapter concludes by providing suggestions on how the wine tourism industry can better use VR in order to attract more clients, create a new network strategy, gain a competitive advantage, and face the current and any future health crises.