Last Friday, October 11, the International Wine Tourism Awards of the University of La Laguna and Bodegas El Grifo were held at the Bodegas El Grifo facilities in Lanzarote.
This is a recognition of the best academic works related to wine tourism, presented up to the academic year 2023-2024. This call, promoted 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 on the promotion of responsible and sustainable tourism."
For his part, the owner of Bodegas El Grifo, Fermín Otamendi, stressed the relevance of the initiative: "El Grifo has always been committed to innovation and the preservation of our environment, and these awards are a sign of the commitment of the Canary Islands wineries to sustainable development. The research that we are awarding today not only reflects academic talent, but also the potential of wine tourism as an economic and cultural engine."
Among the award winners was the Award for Best Final Degree Project, awarded to Juan Alberto Suárez Rodríguez of 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 of contemporary integral sustainability in the Frontera rural park." His research highlights the importance of wine tourism as a tool for the conservation of the cultural and agricultural landscape, linking the sustainable management of the territory with local economic development.
The Award for Best Master's Thesis went to Santiago González González of the University of Alicante, author of "Innovation and wine tourism, a perfect match." His study analyzes how innovation has transformed wine tourism on the Alicante Wine Route, improving the competitiveness and sustainability of the sector through digitization and the use of advanced technologies.
Finally, the award for Best Doctoral Thesis was given to Edgar Javier Sabina del Castillo of the University of La Laguna, for his research "Analysis of the 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.
The event was also attended by Isabel Karely León Pérez, Vice-Rector 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.
In addition, a conference was offered by Gabriel Alejandro Fidel, Vice-Rector 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.
