Abstract
British Columbia’s (BC) wine country has become a popular destination for tourists internationally as it welcomes over a million visitors each year (BC Wine Institute 2019). The Okanagan Valley is home to 80% of all the vineyards in BC, making it a premier grape growing region. It is known to be the second largest wine producing region in Canada (BC Wine Institute 2019). One of the oldest producers of wine, within the Okanagan Valley, is the city of Kelowna. Kelowna is known for its unique wine related experiences, serene beauty filled with luscious greenery, mountains, its gorgeous Okanagan Lake, and has the highest concentration of wineries in the Valley. This research explores the narratives of individuals who visit the area and its wineries to embark on wine tours and the people who work in the industry. I trace the narratives of both tourists and hosts and track their desires for self-realization by demonstrating how the place, the industry, and the tour become spaces of renewal and therapeutic relief. I show how the therapeutic experience of self-realization is discovered in new consumption practices of wine and nature, leading to new worlds of experiences associated with Kelowna’s wine country. These narratives outline three themes relating to the quest for self-realization: fulfillment, authenticity and social status.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
WINE, TOURISM, CONSUMPTION, SELF-REALIZATION, CULTURE, FULFILLMENT, SOCIAL STATUS, AUTHENTICITY, THERAPEUTIC
