Leveraging Technology to Enhance Customer Experience in Wineries: a comparative case study in Italy

Abstract

In the rapidly evolving landscape of wine tourism, Italian wineries are faced with a dual challenge: how to uphold the cherished traditions of the wine industry while adapting to the digital age to enhance the customer experience. This study aims to better understand how emerging technologies can be used to improve the customer experience during visits to Italian wineries and how these new technologies can add value to wineries. More specifically, it seeks to identify the specific challenges that small and medium-sized Italian wine enterprises face in adopting new technologies. This research positions itself in the broader context of the evolving wine tourism landscape, focusing on the Italian wineries' efforts to balance tradition and innovation while enhancing the wine tourism experience. In this qualitative research, a case study methodology was employed to delve into the customer journey strategies of three distinct Italian wineries located in the Emilia Romagna region of selected wineries: Podere Vecciano, Vigne di San Lorenzo, and Villa Venti. After interviews, as a valuable source of firsthand information regarding the wineries' customer engagement strategies, technological integrations, and daily operational challenges, a physical visits to the three wineries was conducted, providing a first-hand experience of their customer engagement practices and technological implementations. The new wine tourism customer journey was designed with the integration of emerging technologies, as well as the challenges that the three companies encounter daily in the integration of these technologies as virtual reality and augmented reality. The study reveals that while emerging technologies can play a complementary role, their adoption varies according to the size of the winery, the resources and the commitment to preserving authenticity. Additionally, the study underscores the challenges and barriers that these wineries encounter to integrate emerging technologies, ranging from limited knowledge and expertise to constrained financial investments, time constraints, and the absence of supportive networks and skilled personnel in advanced technologies. From a theoretical point of view, this study contributes to a greater understanding of how new technologies influence the experience of tourists in the wine sector, highlighting the importance of a customised approach based on the specific needs and resources of each company. The study should provide valuable guidance for wineries in relation to the tourism sector, suggesting that the adoption of new technologies should be aimed at improving the experience of the tourist in a manner consistent with its offer of services and available resources.