Œnotourisme in Switzerland-Producer initiatives and policies.

According to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), Switzerland's wine production in 2021 was 1 million hl, ranking 21^st in the world. The Swiss wine production is supported by 2148 communes, where four languages are spoken (German, French, Italian and Romansh), and the vineyards, varying in altitude from 200 to 1150 m, where traditional wines characteristic of the local culture are produced. This paper discusses Œnotourisme (wine tourism) from a policy perspective, which in Switzerland, has become increasingly active in recent years. The paper considers sustainable agriculture and tourism from a policy perspective, examining the origins of the livelihood of agriculture and tourism, starting with landscape studies, and from the viewpoints of the grape and wine producers who operate Œnotourisme. The effects of the policy will be examined. Situating sustainability as it core. Wine tourism is referred to as Œnotourisme, the starting point of wine in this paper.

Keywords: Œnotourisme; Switzerland; Sustainability; Agriculture; Tourism Certification

The 'Œno' in Œnotourisme means wine, which has been used since ancient times as an essential beverage for human consumption, along with the transmission of farming and brewing techniques.

In 2012, in its Global Report on Food Tourism, the World Tourism Organisation of the United Nations (UNWTO) told the world that the tourism industry, driven by the culture of food and wine, has a significant impact on the global economy.

Global food security has been discussed at the World Summit on Food Security since 2009, and specifically issues concerning climate change adaptation and mitigation for food security was discussed in 2012, when its committee reported on the serious impacts of climate change on sustainable agriculture.

In 2015, a year after the UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism 2015. The First Global Conference on Wine Tourism in Georgia launched, Œnotourisme as an important component of gastronomy tourism. It positioned Œnotourisme as a key component of gastronomy tourism, suggesting that Œnotourisme offers an opportunity for untapped destinations to join existing destinations by fostering sustainable tourism, and that its impact on local communities is effective. According to López (2022), the Œnotourisme market is estimated to reach a size of approximately € 29.6 billion by 2030.

According to International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) in 2020, the world's viticultural area will be 7.3 million ha and production will be 260 million hl (OIV, 2021a), with European countries, including the EU, accounting for half of the world's wine production and the European wine industry having a significant impact on the global wine market.

In November 2020, the OIV issued global guidelines for implementing the principles of sustainable viticulture, advocating the reduction of environmental impacts on the planet, and stating the importance of implementing initiatives that take into account the specific characteristics of viticulture in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It mentions (OIV, 2020a) that viticulture has deep links with the territory, its history, culture, and customs, is based on agricultural production with specific techniques that cannot be non-regionally imposed, plays an important role in the formation and conservation of the landscape, and has the potential for tourism development as an important element of regional identification. Together, it is advocated that their achievement is dependent on the participation of private companies and associations and cannot be achieved by public policy alone. The global trend is now also directed towards Œnotourisme for sustainable development, coupled with food issues.

Recent Œnotourisme research began with Hall and Macionis (1996), who defined wine tourism with a focus on Australia and New Zealand, William and Kelly's (2001) new research into the surrounding environment and food culture; Dubrule's (2007) French wine tourism trends study; Némethy et al. (2016) Œnotourisme study of ecological and economic compatibility, Baird, Hall and Castka (2018) New Zealand winery sustainability and producer involvement in tourism, and Szolnoki and Alonzo (2022) German wine tourism sustainability and organic farming, but very few Œnotourisme studies have addressed the Swiss case, tourism policy or agricultural policy. This paper examines whether the environment created by the Swiss landscape, nurtured by history and tradition, has led to the development of unique agricultural and tourism policies and the formation of Œnotourisme, and considers the effects and significance of the policies on the current state of Œnotourisme, based on producer questionnaires.

Both Swiss agriculture and tourism policies promote sustainable policies. This article therefore traces the origins of the landscape up to the present day, and also touches on agricultural policy.

In 2011, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOAN), together with the European Environment Agency (EEA), announced that landscape fragmentation due to roads, railways, intensive agriculture, and urban development in Europe could have serious consequences for wildlife (EEA & FOAN, 2011). The significance of this report is to maintain biodiversity and landscape quality and captures the broad-based development and environmental impacts of mutual bordering European countries. The importance of biodiversity also strengthens the capacity of soils to provide food and water. The impact of these on viticulture, an agricultural industry, is significant.

Switzerland is a mountainous tourist destination in Western Europe with an area of 41 285 km2, over 70 % of which is covered by the Alps and Jura mountains, with some 1500 scattered lakes and numerous rivers, including Europe's main rivers, the Rhȏne and Rhine, and vineyards are scattered across the hills near water sources. The terrain varies from 4400 m in elevation, which is characteristic of Switzerland, but the majority of viticulture is done by hand, which means that the work is carried out in a harsh working environment. According to Viret (2013), taking one hundred as the working hours per hectare in the USA, Australia, Chile, etc., the mountainous Swiss region generally requires 8–10 times more working hours and costs 8–10 times more in labour costs at CHF 40 000–50 000. The origins of viticulture on these slopes date back to 800–600 BC, mainly in the canton of Valais, and production has continued in this environment through the ages. Switzerland's current wine production is around 1 million hl according to the OIV (2023), making it the 21st largest wine producer in the world. In addition, exports account for 2 % of total production.

Hammer et al. (2008) state that in Switzerland in the 1990s, the emphasis in agricultural policy on the implementation of the landscape concept was limited to ecological aspects and excluded the social, economic, visual and aesthetic valuation of the cultural landscape, Swiss agricultural policy, including landscape protection, was reformed in 1993, when direct payments were separated from agricultural income and wine producers were made eligible for 'wine grape slope payments' and 'ecological direct payments' The list of payment amounts is shown in Table 1.

Payments are subject to the requirement that one owner owns at least 0.1 ha.

Table 1: The contribution for sloping vineyard areas is as follows per hectare per year.

Source: Confédèration Suisse (2023). Payments directs by author translation.

The Direct Ecological Payment also stipulates that the non-use of insecticides, miticides and fungicides after flowering is 1100 CHF per hectare per year (although some plant protection products are permitted under the Organic Farming Ordinance), and the annual copper charge to the vineyard may not exceed 1.5 kg (Confédèration Suisse, 2023). These fall under the contribution of production systems that respect the environment and animals.

Furthermore, Article 104 of the Federal Constitution, approved by the people on 9 June 1996, defines the role of agriculture as ensuring a sustainable market-based food supply, conserving natural resources, and promoting the maintenance of the rural landscape and decentralized use of the country's land.

In 2001, Switzerland signed the European Landscape Convention, which is to promote sustainable management taking into account environmental, social, and economic aspects; Hammer et al. (2008) note that although the Convention is not legally binding, it has influence over regional nature reserves and all research and planning noted that the Convention has been exerting an influence on them.

These sequences gradually transformed the limited landscape concept presented by Hammer within Switzerland. The government led the linkage between agricultural policy and the Constitution in a direction that allowed the public to view these as tourism resources. The Government has also made it clear in its agricultural policy that farmers have a significant role to play in the conservation and management of the landscape. It is also important to note the technical spread of many natural farming methods, such as organic and biodynamic agriculture.

In 2007, the Lavaux area on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland was inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List. The ICOMOS (2017) Criteria Assessment for the conservation of landscapes and buildings over 1000 years, the support, management and protection of wine growing areas and the production of high value wine as an important part of the local economy. An excellent example of optimizing local resources, with strong support from the local community, is recognized. Cartier and Schmid (2021) state that the benefits to the Swiss tourism industry from the landscape are estimated at CHF 2.5 billion per year. The utilization of local resources and their value through the landscape is based on research that is now visualized and elucidated. In Switzerland, Œnotourisme is currently developing these concepts, starting with landscape and linking them to agricultural policy and the Constitution.

The next section considers Swiss tourism policy.

The UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals are targeted to be achieved by 2030 in UN Member States and worldwide. The Swiss Federal Council has indicated that all aspects of sustainable development are to be positioned as key requirements for federal policy areas.

This is also the case for the aforementioned agricultural policy and is also implemented for tourism policy. According to Switzerland Tourism (2023), the 'contribution to sustainable development' at the heart of the federal tourism strategy is (1) The preservation and enhancement of architectural and cultural heritage, landscape quality and biodiversity, (2) Support for climate change adaptation, (3) The major goal of implementing and supporting 'Swisstainable' are set out first.

From 2021, the Swiss Government is introducing Swisstainable, a program created by the University of Lucerne, the Switzerland Tourism (ST) and other national tourism organizations such as the Swiss Tourism Federation to provide guidance on sustainability initiatives and to communicate this information to guests. Currently, all tourism-related operators such as the Swiss Wine Promotion (SWP), hotel and restaurant services, railways and others are gradually beginning to work on this program (Table 2). The assessment is divided into three certification levels, each of which can be progressively deepened.

The levels are divided into categories I to III and are structured with a view to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTCD) standards which are aimed at all regions involved in tourism. They are intended to demonstrate to customers the company's commitment to sustainable tourism and to bring the quality of tourism to a higher level of precision.

The main reason given by ST for the participation of tourism stakeholders in the program (2023) is about the sustainable developmental effects on tourism of responsible destination business that considers social and ecological aspects.

Table 2: Œnotourisme agencies working on Swisstainable.

Source: prepared by the author from information on each URL site and Strategy for the sustainable development of Switzerland as a Travel destination (ST2022). *Swisstainable Level I Committed: Companies that are committed to sustainable business management and want to develop. Level II engaged: Committed commitment to sustainable management and one or more certifications required, Swisstainable. Level III Leading: For companies that already have sustainability certifications, third-party audits required on a regular basis.

The following is an account of how Switzerland's tourism policy is actually linked to Œnotourisme and food tourism, from a Switzerland Tourism in Japan representative who is well versed in local information and has been involved in media distribution in this field for nearly 20 years.

The world has been affected in many ways by global warming in recent years, with glaciers receding in Switzerland. The ground is loosening, causing rocks to fall in mountainous regions, and the cycles in natural ecosystems are affecting agriculture. These cascading changes in the workings of the earth are also affecting wine production and its taste, making sustainability efforts all the more important. (Personal communication with government official, 15 November 2022)

Switzerland is committed to the consumption and recycling of a large amount of organic food, the use of eco-energy and the protection of forests, for which there are already initiatives, and Swisstainable is an extension of this, combining the elements of the approach of enjoying nature up close and personal, experiencing local culture in depth, local production for local consumption, and getting to know it better with longer stays. This is linked to the following elements of the approach. Whose new initiatives and future prospects are described below follows.

Œnotourisme has as its goal an in-depth understanding of the grape and its region through wine. The mission of the tourist office is not to increase the number of visitors, but to focus on the new added value that can be created by combining the many tourist experiences with Switzerland's unique environment. Experiencing the world of Swiss wine at Œnotourisme, for example, is a way to connect with people and expand sustainable communities. Tourists will also learn about the hard labour in the sloping vineyards and gain a better understanding of the producers, which will lead to active consumption of their products. On 1st October 2022, the Swisstainable Veggie Day, which focused on the health-orientation of vegetable diets, was held in about 1200 restaurants, hotels, railways and airlines across Switzerland, where participants 'enjoyed food and wine.' (Personal communication with government official, 15 November 2022).

Personal communication, linkages with the local community due to the environment, including the vineyard landscape and the environmental conditions under which the wines are produced, are mentioned.

According to Getz and Brown (2006), using the experiences of Canadian wine consumers, the three main elements of Œnotourisme are, firstly, friendly wineries and knowledgeable staff, secondly, attractive landscape and climate, and finally, distinctive regional gourmet and wine villages and restaurants. The analysis includes personal relationships, showing that the producer is perceived as more than just a name in the consumer's perception. Longer stays and wine experiences are an opportunity for the region to come together and demonstrate its effectiveness, such as overnight stays and aperitif times, wine cruises and wine trains.

In the future, such initiatives are also aimed at reducing CO2 emissions, but will also generate economic benefits in further cooperation with wine and are expected to play a key role as a venue for both parties to deepen their understanding of organic farming and other aspects of the industry.

Nas (2023), while noting that Swisstainable creatively combines the Swiss nation brand with sustainability goals, assesses that it focuses more on Switzerland's environmental potential than on social and economic goals and that sustainability could be mentioned in other areas in the future. It states that there is potential for this to be possible. Schöherr, Peters and Kuščer (2023) also state, based on interviews with tourism organizations, that the climate crisis has increased its relevance in politics, especially in Europe, and that tourism organizations are demanding the need for sustainable policies.

According to the ST Annual Report 2019, the Swiss government has invested approximately CHF 4 million, or 4.6 % of its total budget, in promoting its wines since 2018. The specific strategy is to position Œnotourisme as an autumn campaign and to promote the various wine-growing regions, in cooperation with the Swiss Wine Promotion (SWP), which is responsible for the promotion and marketing of Swiss wines, in cooperation with producers in the various regions of Switzerland and in collaboration with the Agricultural Office. The SWP is responsible for the promotion and marketing of Swiss wine in the various regions. These are also due to the effects of receding glaciers caused by global warming, as mentioned in the first half of the interview, and the search for new tourism in wine, an agricultural product due to its sustainable elements. The long history of wine, in examples such as the Lavaux region and elsewhere, as a landscape and architectural and cultural heritage component of Swiss tourism policy, is also a reason why Œnotourisme has been given a new place in Switzerland's tourism landscape. The local nature of the wines that support Œnotourisme is also linked to food and is intended to stimulate new industries in the region.

The outcomes of the UNWTO 1st International Conference on Wine Tourism held in Georgia in 2016, the official UNWTO presentation (2016) starts with the connection between wine and food through tourism, the development of rural areas as tourist destinations and the impact of tourism on local communities, including cultural and lifestyle experiences. It touches on the impact of tourism on local communities.

These are closely linked to the framework of the OIV's November 2020 sustainable viticulture guidelines, which state that viticulture has deep links with the territory, its history, culture, and customs, is based on agricultural production with specific techniques that cannot be non-regionally imposed, plays an important role in shaping and preserving the landscape and is a key element of regional identification.

Meladze (2016) mentioned the potential of Œnotourisme in Georgia with its extensive wine history, the wine-making tradition called qvevri, the Georgian wine and food feast and traditional wines made from indigenous grapes, and noted that wine tourism is a destination identity and includes cultural, economic and historical values, and that it is a key driver in the diversification strategy, helping destinations to enhance their tourism offer and attract a diverse range of people.

Ghvanidze et al. (2022) also identified the Œnotourisme regional experience as an intangible element of tradition, authenticity, atmosphere, culture and interaction and a tangible element of producers, wine cellars, restaurants, landscape and tourist operators, with the former linked to the cultural and social roots and atmosphere of the country and the latter linked to the Œnotourisme relationship stakeholders, stating that a balance between the two is necessary to make the region successful.

The guidelines provided by the OIV, including the Georgia Declaration, are not binding on the wine production and Œnotourisme of each country, but they are an important element in maintaining the environmental, social and economic balance in the public interest of the tourism resource.

Policies vary from country to country, but if they are to maximise their effect on Œnotourisme, they should be built on and promoted to solve local problems by further developing an understanding of intangible and tangible resources. The Georgia Declaration can be seen as a declaration to drive sustainable agriculture and tourism. The declaration can be seen as a declaration to drive sustainable agriculture and tourism.

Sun and Drakeman (2022) refer to the maintenance of innovative ways to experience the culture and lifestyle of the destination in the Georgia Declaration and emphasise that the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by Œnotourisme is significant within Australia and local tourism promotion entities under study. They further state that Œnotourisme should be valued as an intangible cultural benefit, and for this it is important, that wine producers, the tourism sector and government policy makers in particular must find the best ways of sustainability in economic, social and environmental terms.

Trigo and Silva (2022) note that wine can play a major role as an integrated industry through the Wine of Chilie sustainable wine programme certification system. They also refer to the wine tourism plan in the Douro region of Portugal, recommending that wine tourism should be part of an integrated plan (community, agriculture, local economy, local development, wine industry and tourism) based on sustainable principles on the basis of the protection of historical, cultural and natural resources.

In light of these new perspectives, OIV Director General Pau Roca said at the UNWTO 6th International Conference on Wine Tourism that Œnotourisme is not only about gaining knowledge, but also legitimizing wine as a commodity and positioning it as a cultural asset, as it was highlighted that Œnotourisme values the connection with the earth, raises awareness of the difficulties involved in production and the climatic conditions, and creates respect for wine, explaining that the Œnotourisme effect is the basis for intelligent and moderate consumption (OIV, 2020b).

It Is the most important perspective in Œnotourisme that it considers the products and their environment and products as their fundamentally limited and precious resources.

According to the Federal Office for Agriculture (Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft, hereafter BLW, 2021), the wine harvest was about 610 000 hl, well below the average of 950 000 hl over the past 10 years and down 36 %. harvests from 2017 and 2020 have been downward trend (Fig. 1). In addition to the decline in the harvest in 2020, as Figure1 shows, previous declining years show the same trend in global wine production as indicated by the OIV (2023) in Figure 2. This is caused by warm, wet winters, extremely cold and dry springs, frost, hail, disease and pests – the effects of climate change are hitting the vineyards. The production difficulties and climatic conditions described by Pau Roca are familiar problems.

Graph: Figure 1: Swiss wine Production 1994–2022.Source: BLW. Das Weinjahr 1994–2021. Prepared by the author based on statistics.

Graph: Figure 2: Evolution of world wine productionSource: OIV (2023). State of the World Vineyard Wine Sector in 2022.

In addition, BLW (2020) purchased 5 968 515 ℓ of AOC wine as table wine with a financial contribution of approximately CHF 10 million from producers throughout Switzerland, including Aargau, Genève, Vaud and Valais, who offered to purchase it in December 2020 when stocks increased due to the low wine consumption since Covid-19. After these situations, Swiss producers are hoping for a new Œnotourisme, the tourism industry. For producers, the Œnotourisme is beginning to exist as a new forum for interaction with consumers. As will be discussed in more detail below, Œnotourisme can also learn about these climate changes from the producers' experiences and can be linked to the intelligent consumption mentioned above. The next section describes the situation by region and then examines the efforts of individual producers.

Switzerland consists of 26 cantons (states) and 2148 communes. Three mains Languages are spoken German, French and Italian, and in some parts Romansh. Their distribution is shown in Figure 3. The regions are classified as Suisse romande (französisches Sprachgebiet), Deutschschweiz (deutsches Sprachgebiet) and Svizzera italiana (italienisches Sprachgebiet).

Graph: Figure 3: The four language areas of SwitzerlandSource: BFS (2022). Die vier Sprachgebiete der Schweiz

The main wine-growing regions are Valais, Vaud, Genève, Neuchâtel, Fribourg, and Jura. The official language is French, with German spoken in some areas of Valais. The wine-growing region extends from the countryside outside Genève, adjacent to the French border, along the Rhône River to the area around Lake Geneva in Vaud, the mountainous region of Valais and Lake Neuchȃtel in the north of Lake Geneva, around Lake Biel and the Jura mountains.

According to BLW (2022), grape production in 2022 was 783 483 hl, accounting for 79 % of total production. The altitude of the vineyards ranges from 370 to 1100 m and the topographical situation varies from rural to mountainous.

Clavel (1995) attributes the origins of Swiss wine to Julius Caesar after his battle of Bibracte in 58 BC. It also shows that the present-day vineyards, including Dézaley in Vaud, were established by the Cistercians and Benedictines in the 12th century with the spread of Christianity ([8], 1995), and spread further afield with agricultural technology. The vineyards and breweries of these fringes are open to the public as a tourist resource.

Large wine facilities for marketing vineyards and produce in Lavaux Vinorama (Vaud) and Les Celliers de Sion (Valais) are beginning to replace traditional district producer-operated wine caves.

In Sion, the capital of the mountainous Valais canton of Valais, a wine bus, which runs every Saturday, connects nine producers in order to facilitate access to Œnotourisme.

In the Three Lakes region, including Vaud and Neuchâtel, and in Genève, tastings and tours of production sites on board boats in cooperation with ships, and on trains, mainly in Vaud, local restaurants, wineries and other producers are also seen, and ships and trains are mostly natural, including hydroelectric power. The ships and trains show that they are mostly powered by natural energy sources such as hydroelectricity and are also responsible for the appeal of the country's tourism policy.

Vaud Œnotourisme, mentioned above in Table 2, has been in place since 2018 and is responsible for managing and improving Œnotourisme services, including linking wine producers, hotels and restaurants, transport authorities, tourist information office, local product outlets and event agencies, and issuing licenses to accredited persons.

The viticultural area stretches over a wide area from the capital Bern to the west and is bordered by Austria, Germany to the north-west and Italy to the south-west. There are 19 cantons (states) in total. Mainly German is spoken, with some Romansh in Graubünden; according to BLW (2022), grape production in 2022 was 158 856 hl, accounting for 15 % of total production. Vineyards are cultivated on hilly terrain with varying altitudes, ranging from 270 to 600 m.

The SWP (2020) attributes the beginning of current viticulture to the donation of vineyards by the bishop of Chur to the monastery of Graubünden in 765, and the jurisdiction of the monasteries and lords expanded over the centuries, but damage caused by phylloxera in the 19th century led to a drastically reduced. Today, many farmers are secondary viticulturists, and wine production is said to be conducted by about 10 % of the 3000 growers. Pinot Noir, brought from France in 1651, accounts for about 60 % of the varieties grown.

Œnotourisme does not have many initiatives such as the Alter Torkel (Graubünden), a wine experience centre for enjoying food and wine, or hiking around the vineyards and visiting growers.

Borders Italy and Austria, where Italian is spoken. Vineyards spread on the southern slopes of the Alps and around Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano; according to BLW (2022), grape production in 2022 was 49 986 hl, accounting for 5 % of total production; according to SWP (2020), Merlot planted after phylloxera damage in the 19th century accounts for 80 % of production. Merlot, planted after phylloxera damage in the 19th century, accounts for 80 % of production. Production takes place in vineyards at altitudes of 200–560 m, with a wide variation in altitude.

Since Roman times, the fortified town, the provincial capital Bellinzona and other areas, together with the vineyards, have been designated a World Heritage Site and serve as a tourist destination. Wine tasting in the vineyards and wine and food tours in the castle are organized.

The policy guidelines recommended by the Swiss Federal Council in June 2021 as a solution to the UN Agenda 2030 (Swiss Federal Council, 2021) state that the sustainable development should consider aspects of the three goals of economic efficiency, social solidarity and environmental responsibility and their equilibrium be achieved in an integrated manner.

The Government identified 'sustainable consumption and production', 'climate, energy and biodiversity' and 'equal opportunities and social cohesion' as particularly pressing issues.

To improve the response rate, the number of questions was limited, while ensuring the mutuality of the three aspects environment, economy and society.

Although such studies are few in number, studies by Fujita (2009) on the topic of green tourism in Japan and Szolnoki et al. (2022) on the topic of wine tourism around the world could be referred to.

The survey was conducted online between 29 July and 22 September 2022 for Swiss grape and wine producers working on Œnotourisme. Due to the pandemic, and the multi-lingual nature of the study (German, French and Italian), the online survey was the only possible and the most effective survey. The period for response collection was extended by approximately one month from late August, when the survey was being conducted, due to the fact that the harvesting process was 2–3 weeks earlier than usual due to the changes in season.

The tables and analyses presented below are based on a new categorisation of the data, grouped by language area, in order to show the regional characteristics of Switzerland.

The survey coverage, cantons and number of responses are shown in Table 3. The first step was to check the implementation status of the various regions on the website. Table 3 shows that 205 of the 521 Suisse romande were institutions whose implementation of Œnotourisme could be confirmed on their websites (N②), and 68 responses (33.2 %) were received. Unfortunately, it was not possible to identify the Œnotourisme producers on the websites of the Deutschschweiz and Ticino producers, so figures could not be provided, but 107 responses were received out of a total of 1022, which represents 10.5 % of the total number of responses. However, from the 205 cases of Œnotourisme implementation, 107 responses represent a response rate of 52.2 %. All respondents had implemented Œnotourisme.

Table 3: Status of questionnaire survey implementation

Source: Prepared by the author based on Research Report 2022: Sognificance and Prospects of Oenotourisme in Switzerland (Fujita & Inoue, 2023)

The vineyard area and number of people employed by the respondents to this survey, separately in the three areas, is dominated by small farm operations of less than 5 ha and 6–10 ha. By employment in Suisse romande, 5 ha operations with 1–9 people accounted for 53.6 %, with the same number of people in the Deutschschweiz shows that 6–10 ha is operated by a small number of people (70.4 %) and 11–20 ha (83.3 %), regardless of the size of the operation, while there is also employment of more than 100 people from 11 ha to more than 40 ha.

The largest number of small-scale farmers with less than 5 ha, and regarding employment, 35.0 % and 28.6 % are family-owned operations and 1–9 people respectively, with slightly more family-owned operations. There is also a 50.0 % employment of more than 100 people on more than 40 ha. Svizzera italiana has a similar trend to Deutschschweiz, with 35.0 % of family operations under 5 ha and 28.6 % with 1–9 people.

Table 4: Number of employees by cultivated area

Source: Prepared by the author based on Fujita and Inoue (2023)

Deutschschweiz and Svizzera italiana nominated a high figure of 100 % for 'Wine tasting', but only 98.5 % for Suisse romande. 'Guided tours' are also high at 86.4 % for Deutschschweiz and 82.4 % for Svizzera italiana, compared to 73.5 % for Suisse romande.

Conversely, 'Event' is actively organized in Suisse romande (63.2 %), Deutschschweiz (18.2 %) and Svizzera italiana (23.5 %), whereas 'Catering food services' are provided on site in Deutschschweiz (63.6 %) and Svizzera italiana 82.4 %, indicating that meals are provided in conjunction with tastings on the premises. Svizzera italiana is the most active in 'Virtual activities' at 52.9 %. This figure is expected since the vineyards are open to touring guests. These are left to the discretion of the producers, although some of them restrict access to their fields for environmental management.

Others were rarely mentioned in the answers, but the Suisse romande, a video introduction to the winery and a wine club wine meeting for members were mentioned.

Table 5: Implementation of Œnotourisme *Multiple responses possible

323 responses from 107 cases Source: Prepared by the author based on Fujita and Inoue (2023)

The Swiss cultivation system shows several initiatives by producers. For 'BIO', the 'bio. inspecta' and 'Bio testagro', which are certified in accordance with the Federal Ordinance on Organic Cultivation, and 'Bio Suisse' (SWP, 2021), which has strict criteria for the promotion of biodiversity because it is linked to a product mark for the consumer, Suisse romande 38.2 %, as well as Deutschschweiz and Svizzera italiana, about 30.0 % are implemented.

'IP' ([55], 2019), which emphasises biological control such as moth pheromone diffusion systems, followed by Suisse romande with 19.1 % and Svizzera italiana with 17.6 %. Although Deutschschweiz has a small number 18.2 %, it works on ecological cycles on the whole farm and receives direct payments (Direktzahlungsverordnung; Art. 11) for 'Ökologischen Leistungsnachweises' (ÖLN). Efforts are only shown in the responses in Table 6.

The VITISWISS certified 'Vinatura®', which promotes sustainable viticulture in cooperation with the BLW, is shown as 19.1 % in the Suisse romande, although the conditions for certification are strict.

'Biodynamics' is tackled by Deutschschweiz 27.3 % and Suisse romande 11.8 %, while Demeter, where 'Biodynamics' efforts must be over a year old, is less tackled Skelton (2019) points out, there are production cost and technical issues.

Table 6: Viticulture farming methods *Multiple responses possible

156 responses from 107 cases Source: Prepared by the author based on Fujita and Inoue (2023)

However, according to OIV (2021b), organic vineyards worldwide will increase by an average of 13 % per year between 2015 and 2019, while non-organic vineyards will decrease by an average of 0.4 % per year; in 2019, organic vineyards will represent 454 Kha, or 6.2 % of the total. Organic viticulture, 'Biodynamics' and 'Demeter' are expected to increase in the future.

'Piwi' varieties, developed to reduce pesticides and protect grapes against fungal diseases, are spreading beyond Switzerland to Germany, Austria, Italy, and Spain. These grape varieties, which were developed mainly in Germany and Switzerland, are the most worked on in Switzerland with Svizzera italiana 29.4 %. They partly contribute as quality assurance labels for products, but are not expected to reach many consumers, given the proportion of organically grown vineyards in the world. However, if consumer awareness is increased, for example through mutual efforts of national labelling and certification schemes, this could well have an impact on Œnotourisme.

As for 'Not interested' in farming methods, 20.6 % of the respondents in Suisse romande and 27.3 % in Deutschschweiz stated that organic farming and other cultivation methods that reduce the impact on the natural environment are also costly, so it cannot be denied that there are producers who hold this opinion, but this is an issue for future research.

Szolnoki and Taffel (2022) argue that organic certification is only one of the factors influencing the attractiveness of wineries in Œnotourisme, but that wine quality, authentic location, personal contact, and visitor connections are important for organic wines in environmental terms. He explains that Œnotourisme, based on organic farming, is a powerful tool for sustainable development. This was discussed in terms of the effectiveness of Œnotourisme to explore how producers operating Œnotourisme, which is supported not only by organic farming but also by sustainable farming and tourism policies, communicate this and link it to the environment, economy, and society.

The 'differentiation from other wineries' was selected by 44.1 % of Suisse romande and 40.9 % of Deutschschweiz, while 'Enhance the image of the winery' was selected by 82.4 % of Suisse romande, 77.3 % of Deutschschweiz and 82.4 % of Svizzera italiana, indicating high expectations for Œnotourisme initiatives in the respective regions. The expectations for Œnotourisme initiatives in each region can be seen in the high percentage of respondents.

Contrary to this question with economic effects on the image of producers and products, no specific figures are found in all regions for the question 'Fulfil our corporate social responsibility'.

Table 7: Effectiveness of Œnotourisme *Multiple responses possible

345 responses from 107 cases Source: Prepared by the author based on Fujita and Inoue (2023)

'Raise staff awareness' only accounts for 4.7 % of the total, compared to 7.4 % for Suisse romande, 4.5 % for Deutschschweiz and 5.9 % for Svizzera italiana. As the brand image of producers and their products is closely linked to human management, all staff who deal with tourists need to be systematically trained, but some former producers are finding it difficult to operate their wineries with a small number of staff.

Suisse romande showed a higher figure for 'Rise public awareness' with 66.2 % compared to Suisse romande 57.4 %, Deutschschweiz 81.8 % and Svizzera italiana 82.4 % for 'Promote consumer awareness', while the figures for 'Rise public awareness' were higher than those for 'Promote consumer awareness' with 66.2 %, Deutschschweiz with 54.5 % and Svizzera italiana with 70.6 %, showing lower figures. 'Promote consumer awareness' is an important economic factor, as it is also linked to 'Enhance the image of the winery'. However, 'Rise public awareness' includes social effects in a broader sense, such as the relationship between environmental protection and organic farming, which can be learned through Œnotourisme, and the lifestyle that derives from this, which is related to food.

The regions do not show high figures for 'Play a role in sustainable tourism' 44.1 % in Suisse romande, 40.9 % in Deutschschweiz and 35.3 % in Svizzera italiana, but further follow-up research is needed to confirm that Œnotourisme is having a certain effect. Future follow-up surveys are needed to determine whether Œnotourisme is having a certain effect.

The next section provides analysis the environmental, economic and social situations through the impact of Œnotourisme on society.

Of the 419 total responses, 185 concerned issues relating the economy, 146 society and 88 the environment.

In the area of the environment, all regions, Suisse romande 55.9 %, Deutschschweiz 45.5 % and Svizzera italiana 41.2 %, have a large number of responses on 'Consideration and improvement of the environment around the winery'.

The Federal Act on Spatial Planning, adopted by Swiss referendum in 2013, protects water sources, countryside areas of historical value, habitats for flora and fauna, agricultural and horticultural uses, etc. as zones (Art. 16, 17). This limits the extent of urban space and promotes landscape protection.

Also, with regard to soil, in May 2020 Switzerland adopted a soil strategy in parliament, which states that soil is also involved in the food supply and the provision of drinking water, and that the national strategy is to ensure that these are not degraded by erosion or pollution.

The consideration and improvement of the surrounding environment, including the landscape, soils and other aspects of the environment that are not affected by tourism, is an important matter not only for the state but also for producers.

'Ecosystem strengthening' is only 18.7 % in all regions, whereas in Deutschschweiz it is slightly higher at 27.2 %. 'Waste separation and reduction' is also low in all areas at 12.1 %.

The QR code management of producer wine label information, which has recently been introduced as an eco-management system, is beginning to be used not only for online sales, but also as a system to facilitate management of producer visits. These will be developed further in the future to promote sustainable consumption patterns as recommended by the Swiss Government.

In the economic sector, 'Tourists' understanding of producers and their products' is relatively high in Svizzera italiana (94.1 %), Suisse romande (82.4 %) and Deutschschweiz (77.3 %). 'Increased economic income' follows closely behind, with Svizzera italiana having the highest rate of 76.5 %, followed by Deutschschweiz and Suisse romande. This result gives an indication of the expectations of the Œnotourisme effect in each of the Swiss regions. When it comes to 'Product development based on consumer needs', all regions show low figures.

According to the Netherland government agency, Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries: CBI (2016), the majority of wine consumption in Switzerland is covered by domestic production, and it is noted that consumption patterns are traditional, making it difficult to enter the market from abroad.

Although this is the situation for Swiss domestic consumers only, the situation in which Switzerland has traditionally established its focus and production speaks for itself in the figures for product development based on consumer needs. Therefore, the figures for 'Joint development of new products with other companies (social)' also do not show significant figures for all areas.

'Strengthening partnership with local institutions' seems to be recognised as an important factor for Œnotourisme in all areas with 47.7 %. The next focus is on 'Development of sustainable tourism', with 41.2 % for Svizzera italiana, 38.2 % for Suisse romande and 22.7 % for Deutschschweiz. These overlap with the Swiss government's tourism policy of experiencing nature and local culture, local production for local consumption, and exploring these in depth during longer stays.

Table 8: Impact of Œnotourisme on society *Multiple responses possible

419 responses from 107 cases Source: Prepared by the author based on Fujita and Inoue (2023)

'Hiring local residents' does not show high figures in all areas. The management of Œnotourisme operations, which are also viticulture and winemaking, is not easily linked to the employment of local people, as they are technical jobs.

In many cases, when producers are family-owned businesses, they operate within the same family and it is difficult to grow local employment, but conversely, the placement of trained professionals in enterprises through the establishment of Œnotourisme specialised education systems should be considered as a new perspective for the future. In the Vaud (Suisse romande), producers themselves receive training to obtain Œnotourisme licences.

In 2020, UNWTO launched the Best Tourism Village award in response to the 'Recommendation on Tourism and Rural Development' (UNWTO, 2020). The background to this award is the difficulties in operating tourism industry due to global warming, in regional areas due to depopulation of rural areas, and difficulties in passing on the traditional culture of the region, income disparity in development as well as the increasing needs to respond.

UNWTO has specifically set out to recognise and support rural tourism products in destinations which maintain and promote rural and community-based value and lifestyles. Engaging visitors in economically, socially and environmentally sustainable tourism. In 2022, 32 villages in 18 countries were selected and included in a global network. As is the case with World Heritage Sites, this award scheme can generate new economic benefits by motivating destination residents to live there and engage in tourism. For this however, policies must be developed in cooperation between residents, local authorities, and government officials, taking into account their impact on society and measures to address environmental considerations.

Switzerland recommends building Œnotourisme as an effective national resource, formally situating it in the Constitution, agricultural policy, and tourism policy, along with food security and environmental protection. Few producers subscribe to the Swisstainable certification on their own, but the body that oversees producers subscribes to it to build the production. The Œnotourisme brand is being built on the basis of regional characteristics. Although there are many grape and wine producer associations in Switzerland, the SWP, which is linked to the Swiss Agency for Agriculture, has been in place since 2008 and reflects national policy. Local producer associations are further developing their cooperation with the SWP and participate in everything from building events to communicate the characteristics of local wines to managing wine production. In the future, along with the development of Œnotourisme, SWPs are expected to play a major role in disseminating information to the international market in order to establish brands in each region for further market expansion.

The survey shows that in Swiss Romand, where Œnotourisme promotes regional cooperation, the figures show that it 'Plays a role in sustainable tourism (44.1 %)' and 'Raises public awareness (66.2 %)'. VAUD Œnotourisme and Interprofession Profession Vigne et Vins Valais and other locally established organisations are seen as having a certain effectiveness in linking government agencies and policies.

The reality of small-scale farm management in Deutschschweiz, according to SWP (2019), is that the vineyards inherited from the monasteries and lords have been passed on to small family businesses over the years and nearly 3000 people are involved in viticulture, but the majority of farmers are involved in wine production as a side business. Although small, the 'play a role in sustainable tourism' is second only to Suisse romande with over 40 %. Efforts such as local communes forming multi-unit partnerships also require the creation of new policy areas, while Svizzera italiana has expanded its activities, particularly in guided tours and catering, and sees Œnotourisme largely as a 'Raise public awareness'. In conjunction with this, it may be necessary to add the perspective of vineyards and vineyard surroundings, local food served with wine and new recipes with regional characteristics, in order to drive awareness of 'sustainable tourism'. It is also important to show visitors in an easy-to-understand way the traditional regional methods of wine making and the state of production in coexistence with nature, which is already being done in all visitors.

In addition, the spread of different viticultural methods, mainly organic, is an effective way of establishing a product brand, along with labelling. There is however concern that the mixing of many of these methods could lead to a lack of differentiation and confusion over tourism certification. It will be important for producers and Œnotourisme officials handling their products to manage them appropriately and communicate them to visitors.

Baird, Hall and Castka (2018) indicate that the certification system recommended by New Zealand Wine growers, Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ), is the emphasis is on exports, which gives the impression that it is more about branding wine than sustainability, indicating a gap between the certifying body and the winegrowers.

The main actors in traditional agricultural wine and traditional food culture are all left to the regions. It is clear that they are supported by strong support from local authorities and government policy.

All stakeholders must have a deep understanding of the land's origins and remember that sustaining a rich natural environment has significant social and economic benefits.

Among the social impacts of Œnotourisme within the environmental section, the most frequent response was 'Consideration and improvement of the environment around the winery'. In the economic field, the most common response was 'Tourists understanding of producers and their products'. In the social field, 'Strengthening partnership with local institutions' was clearly recognised as an essential requirement.

Although the limited number of questions did not allow for a full consideration of the government's urgent policy challenges for sustainability, such as 'Sustainable consumption and production', 'Climate, energy and biodiversity' and 'Equal opportunities and social cohesion', various initiatives for agricultural practices towards climate change and biodiversity were found. A high level of awareness among respondents in Switzerland due to the country's legislation for landscape protection and soil strategy, as well as numerous initiatives for organic farming being implemented within the production system.

According to Fible (2023), the 20 countries where more than 10 % of farmland is used for organic farming are mostly concentrated in Europe, including Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy and Germany, with Switzerland in 8th place. Mutual cooperation with neighbouring countries in Europe, including Switzerland, is indispensable when it comes to environmental considerations.

Sustainable consumption and production' in a well-maintained environment means that resources are consumed effectively as limited and valuable resources, and the Swiss Œnotourisme can give visitors the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment.

Sustainability, which is important in Œnotourisme, should be implemented in a co-operative and coordinated manner, Œnotourisme has potential to be the tourism that can draw sustainability from a multifaceted view of the land and all its products.

Switzerland already has many traditional wine products, but the challenge for the future is to enhance its productivity that bring out the best of the region and to promote each characteristics. Furthermore, regional cooperation across linguistic borders, if achieved in the future, will have an even greater economic impact on Œnotourisme as a sustainable tourism destination.

A future task after the study conducted here is to conduct a field visit to obtain more empirical data on policy effects regarding Œnotourisme. It is also essential to gather information on the producers' response to climate change, which is a pressing global issue, alongside energy reduction, and equal opportunities in the local employment.