Sustainability as a Goal of the Switzerland OEnotourisme : Viticulturists and Winemakers Perspective

This paper examines how OEnotourisme, or wine tourism initiated by the wine growers in Switzerland, can play a role in promoting a sustainable society that reflects the government’s sustainability-related policy.
The Swiss Government’s vision for sustainability in OEnotourisme has been developed in the context of its relationship with EU countries.
Cross-border cooperation with EU countries is critical especially for policies and strategies in environmental conservation and climate change, which has a significant implication for nature and agriculture dependent tourism such as OEnotourisme.
Switzerland has had a national constitution in place since 1996, setting out its goals in relation to sustainable development, which are reflected in all its policies, including agriculture and tourism. “Swisstainable”, a sustainability certification system introduced by the government in 2021, is one such scheme promoting sustainability in all industries.
Swiss wine has nurtured a long history from Roman times to the present day, but with 70% of its production in the mountainous Alps, Switzerland ranks 24th in the world in terms of production, thus its wine is considered rare on the world wine market.
This Paper focuses on the approaches to sustainability taken by viticulturists and winemakers through the results of a questionnaire survey, revealing the potentials of OEnotourisme in promoting sustainability in today’s society facing climate and other environmental challenges.