The 2024/2025 Research Grant has been awarded to two outstanding recipients: Dr. Magalie Dubois and Dr. Jessica Mei Pung.
Magalie Dubois, a researcher from France
Dr. Magalie Dubois, an Associate Professor at the School of Wine & Spirits Business (Burgundy School of Business) in Dijon. Her project, The Effect of “Pay as You Want” on Wine Valuations, investigates a new pricing model for wine tourism.
Current research shows that fixed entrance fees can reduce demand, while the absence of fees can result in visitors consuming wine without making further purchases. Dubois proposes an alternative strategy, where visitors pay what they believe the experience is worth after its completion. Her research will assess whether this “Pay What You Want” (PWYW) model enhances visitor satisfaction and value perception, while also increasing revenues for wineries. This approach can potentially create a more flexible and visitor-focused experience while benefiting wineries financially.
“I am honoured to receive this grant and look forward to investigating how the ‘Pay What You Want’ model can transform the pricing strategies for wine tourism,” said Dubois.
Dr Jessica Mei Pung, a postdoc researcher from Australia
Dr Jessica Mei Pung, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UniSA Business, University of South Australia. Her project, titled The Potential of Agritourism for Extending Wine Tourism Experiences, explores how agritourism can be used to diversify and extend the offerings of wine businesses. She is focusing on case studies in Adelaide, South Australia, and Verona, Italy.
She will analyse how wine tourism operators incorporate agritourism approaches into their product offerings. Through interviews and on-site observations, her research aims to uncover best practices and success factors that can enhance the visitor experience. Ultimately, her project will develop a typology of agritourism-enhanced wine tourism experiences that can be adapted for other markets and regions.
“I am delighted to learn that I have secured one of the positions for the 2024/2025 GWC International Research Grant with my research project application! Thanks to the Great Wine Capitals Global Network for this opportunity.,” said Mei Pung.
GWC Managing Director, Catherine Leparmentier on the awarding of the Grant; “The GWC Research Grant underscores the Network’s ongoing commitment to advancing innovation in the global wine tourism sector. These two projects hold the potential to significantly impact wine tourism practices, offering valuable insights that can benefit both operators and visitors across the Great Wine Capitals”.
The results of this year’s research will be showcased at the GWC Annual General Meeting in 2025, offering a platform for the winners to present their findings to a global audience of industry leaders and peers.
Furthermore, we are looking forward to the inaugural 2023/2024 Grant recipients presenting their research results during the GWC Annual Conference, taking place in Verona in October 2024.
Download the Press Release: Great Wine Capitals – Research Grant 2024: Recipients Announced
Learn more about the GWC International Research Grant